A Doe In the Meadowes
by adoeinthemeadowes
Summary: Dorcas ' Doe ' Meadowes is a name lost largely to history. She was one of the major players in the first wizarding war. Set in her fifth year during the Marauder Era, watch as her story unfolds from Hogwarts to Death. JP/LE DM/SB DM/RL CANON See how a loyal friend, talented witch, and member of the Order was lost at the hands of the Dark Lord. Sirius. Remus.
1. 1- The Platform

1

The Platform

There were several things that never changed on September the 1st, no matter how much time passed. The little muggle children that lived on Grimmauld Place were always sitting on the sidewalk, enjoying the summer day, business men and women alike were always walking through the crowded streets making their way to work, and Platform 9 ¾ was crowded with witches and wizards.

This September the 1st was no different than any other. The muggles that were clustered in Kings Cross on that rather cold day didn't look twice at Doe or Auberon Meadowes as they made their way through the station, heading for the wall space between Platforms nine and ten.

In fact, they paid them no mind. The muggles who worked here were quite used to seeing teenagers pushing trolleys, there was nothing unusual about that.

However, there was something unusual about the dark haired father and daughter, they just didn't realize.

The pair stopped in front of Platforms nine and ten and waited for the muggles closest to them to look away. When they did, the pair ran headfirst towards the brick wall, entering Platform 9 ¾ in one swift movement. Not one of the muggles noticed their disappearance.

Instantly the two were welcomed by the usual sights and sound of the wizarding community.

Doe Meadowes loved the Platform. Almost as much as she loved Hogwarts. The Platform housed so much magic. It was full of students boarding the train, meeting up with their friends and saying goodbye to their parents until break. She couldn't believe this was her fifth time boarding the Hogwarts express.

"So you'll be alright then?" Auberon asked turning to her.

He had an expression of slight worry across his face. The same look he bore every time he dropped her off for a new term at Hogwarts. Doe knew he wanted to stay and watch her board the train. He was always one of the most doting parents, staying behind and waving until the Hogwarts Express had left the platform. But he was the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry, and Doe knew he had a pile of work to get back to.

"I'll be fine, Dad" She assured him, "I'm a fifth year now, after all"

He smiled at her, no doubt a smile that was laced with pride for his daughter and sadness he wouldn't be able to stay.

"You're growing much too fast you know" he said reaching down to hug his only child, "and I'd like you to stop"

She chuckled. "I'll work on that. Love you"

"I love you too, Doe" he said seriously. He threw her one last anxious wave and then disapparated, leaving her standing alone on the platform.

Doe didn't mind being alone, but she stood on the tips of her toes searching the crowd for any sign of her closest friends wanting to find them so they could search out a compartment together.

"You're looking extremely lonely there, Meadowes" a confident voice called out behind her. She knew exactly who it belonged too.

Sirius Black. He was walking over to her, flanked by James Potter.

"Not lonely enough to hang around you, Black" she said, grinning.

Sirius smiled broadly and winked, tossing his long black hair out of his eyes as he did. Doe was glad her friend Marlene wasn't here. She always swooned for Sirius when he did that.

Doe however didn't find herself mystified by Sirius' good looks. She had grown up across the street from Sirius her whole life.

When they were younger, they had been joined at the hip. But when the pair started Hogwarts they began to drift apart. Sirius made the acquaintance of James Potter, and after that the two of them struck up a legendary friendship and caused rampant mischief.

"Hello there, Doe" James said leaning against her trunk while he ran his hands through his already messy hair. An old habit of his.

"Oh, Hi James" she said quickly, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at him.

James was usually nice enough to Doe, but it was generally just to get close to her best friend Lily Evans. James had fancied Lily for years.

Doe had been about to ask how their summers had been, but someone filled the silence before she could.

"PRONGS! PADFOOT!" a cheery voice called happily.

Doe had been attempting to lift her trunk onto the bottom of the train as Remus Lupin, the third best friend of James and Sirius, walked over and greeted them all.

Her surprise at his arrival had caused the trunk to slip from her fingers and land on her foot.

She could feel her complexion betraying her as she blushed in embarrassment.

"You alright there?" Remus asked her, helping her grab the other side of the trunk and lift it onto the train.

Doe could feel her heart racing and tried to muster a response without blabbing.

"Yeah I'm fine, just lost my grip." she said smiling brightly, and nervously tucking a piece of her hair behind her hair.

If she was being honest, she had fancied Remus since her third year. Being that he was also in Gryffindor with her, she had spent loads of time around him and the other Marauders, the nicknames Sirius, James, Remus and Peter had assigned themselves, and she had developed a bit of thing for him. He was very intelligent, and though he could be quiet at times, he was very considerate and funny.

"So, how was your summer?" she asked.

"It was great, how was yours?" He smiled.

"Really good," She said trying to remain cool and collected. She thought she was doing an okay job looking normally enough, even though she was so rattled by nerves she wanted to shred the end of her jumper sleeve.

"OI MEADOWES"

Their conversation was cut short by Marlene McKinnon bounding over and throwing her arms around Doe's neck.

"Marley…. can't breathe" She managed to choke out. Marlene's mouth turned upwards and flashed her a wide smile before releasing her.

"Oops sorry Doe, Hiya Remus" Marlene said, her blue eyes sparkling. She looked from Remus to Doe, her eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Doe elbowed her in the ribs.

"Ow" Marlene said throwing her a small glare that Doe ignored.

"Hi Marlene" Remus said.

"McKinnon," Sirius called, "Are you going to come say hello, or make me come to you?"

Marlene grinned flirtatiously, "I know you're dying to see me, Black"

Sirius winked at Marlene. She simply rolled her eyes at him.

Sirius and Marlene had always had a very flirtatious friendship. It was like they were always playing hard to get with one another.

Marlene had been in love with Sirius for years but he had a reputation around Hogwarts for being a notorious playboy, so nothing had happened yet.

"Come on Dorky, let's go find Lilykins" Marlene said wrapping an arm around Doe's shoulders.

James perked up at the sound of Lily's name, but Marlene dragged them away before he could say anything else.

When they were far enough away, she turned to Doe "Sorry to interrupt your quality Lupin time"

"Oh, shut it Marley" Doe said blushing crimson.

Marlene let out another laugh, "You and Remus are both prefects now. You'll get to spend loads of time together when you patrol"

Doe shook her head, "Lily and Caradoc are also Gryffindor prefects, we may not even be on the same schedule."

"You worry too much" Marlene said with a laugh.

Both girls scanned the thinning crowd for any sight of their redheaded friend.

Lily was standing with her mother and sister by the platform, engaged in argument with her sister. She kept throwing furtive glances at the taller brunette girl standing closely beside her mother. Lily's mother looked tired. She had pronounced dark circles under eyes that weren't there when Doe had seen her last. Petunia, however, looked as cold and uncomfortable as usual. She clung tightly to her mother, staring at the floor. Trying not to look at anything or anyone on the platform.

Lily planted a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and ran over to her waiting friends

"Doe, Marlene!" She said pulling them into a hug.

She embraced her two friends in a tight hug.

"How was your summer, Marlene? You haven't written in weeks" Lily scolded.

"I was busy" Marlene said her eyelashes fluttering.

"Another poor muggle boy to add Marlene's list" Doe said rolling her eyes with a small smile.

Marlene grinned again. One of her favorite summer activities was spending endless hours charming all of the muggle boys in her neighborhood. It wasn't hard when you looked like Marlene.

"Where do you think Mary is?" Lily asked scanning the platform and changing the conversation before Doe could lecture Marlene on her behavior.

"Late, per usual" Marlene said unflinchingly.

"Hey!" Mary said running up behind them, "You try leaving on time when you have two three year olds in the house"

Mary's mother had had twin girls in their second year and they were quite a handful. Mary went home almost every holiday to give her mother a hand.

"We've come to expect your perpetual lateness" Marlene assured her. Mary laughed.

Doe had been best friends with Mary, Marlene and Lily since first year. She had met Lily on the train and Marlene and Mary in the dormitory.

They all seemed to complement each other, though their looks couldn't be further apart.

Marlene was the head turner. She was tan and fit with golden hair and a body that most girls would kill for. Lily was the striking one, with large green eyes and a mass of wavy, dark red hair. Mary was the girl next door, with long sandy brown hair and a curvy figure.

It as Doe however, who looked the most different.

Her hair fell almost to her waist in a straight black curtain that seemed almost impossible to occur against her fair complexion. and blue eyes. Doe didn't particular like the way she looked. She thought her fair skin and small willowy frame made her look more innocent or weaker than she was, and it bothered her. She spent most of her time forced to use a wand to showcase her skills.

"We should go find a compartment before all the good ones are taken" Mary said looking at the diminishing crowd on the platform.

The other girls followed her onto the train onto the Hogwarts Express and found an empty compartment near the back.

There were only a few minutes until eleven, so most of the students were clamoring onto the train and searching for the friends in the compartments.

"I love the train ride to Hogwarts," Marlene said closing her eyes and leaning back against her seat. She looked very peaceful for a moment, like she was thinking about the blissful hours of relaxation ahead.

"I've just missed the castle so much" Doe said.

Hogwarts was one of her favorite places, and while she liked being home with her parents, the summer seemed to lag on the closer it got to September 1st.

"Not to mention using magic" Lily added.

"Ugh magic" Marlene groaned, "All of my brothers are of age and used magic in front of me all summer. It was miserable. I don't know how the muggles do it"

"They don't know any differently" Lily said, as the only muggle born one of all of them, she was constantly explaining the muggle lifestyle to Marlene.

"My mom doesn't even like magic, she prefers us not to use it" Doe told them.

The compartment was silent for a moment, while her friends tried to piece together what that meant.

It wasn't a new conversation for this group of friends.

Doe's father was a Pureblood wizard who came from a long line of Ravenclaws, descending from Rowena Ravenclaw herself. His family was well known and respected in the Wizarding World. Doe's mother however, was a muggle. Her parents had fallen in love and her father's parents who didn't approve had disowned them all. It had been quite the scandal in its day, and they still didn't speak to their Ravenclaw family because of it.

"Really?" Mary asked, "doesn't your dad need it for work?"

Doe nodded, "Yeah, but she doesn't like it when he uses it for things he doesn't have to"

"How odd" Marlene commented. Doe simply shrugged.

It was something she was used to at that point. It was strange enough to have one muggle parent, and one pureblood one, but the fact that her mom was against magic made her situation all the stranger.

Doe leaned against the window and watched as all of the remaining parents waved goodbye to their children on the train.

"Remember when we were that young?" she asked, gesturing to the last first year scrambling onto the train.

"Back when we wrote our parents three times a week?" Marlene asked.

They all laughed.

It was a common problem at Hogwarts for students to neglect writing their parents. Most, Doe included, tried to write at least once a week, but the letters were brief and impersonal.

The large clock chimed eleven o'clock, and the train began chugging away from the station. As it pulled out of the station, the scenery changed to the green covered mountains and hills.

"Doe, we should leave for our prefects meeting now" Lily said getting up. Her badge was already pinned to her sweater. Lily was extremely excited to be a prefect and it made her eager to begin all of her duties.

"I almost forgot" Doe said pinning her own badge onto her sweater. The red and gold looked really nice against the black. Her father had been really pleased when she was chosen. He had been a Ravenclaw prefect in his day.

"How long will the meeting be?" Mary asked.

"Not long," Doe told her.

"We'll be back before the dessert trolley rolls by" Lily assured her.

"Have fun, Goody two shoes!" Marlene called as they closed the compartment door.

The two girls barely had walked three steps when Lily groaned in irritation.

"Ugh," Lily growled. Doe turned to what she was looking at. The compartment next to their own housed three of the marauders. James, Sirius, and Peter were seated around laughing.

"They're just always around!" Lily grumbled angrily.

For years, Lily had despised James Potter, and the other marauders by extension. Ironic, because of James' infatuation with her.

At that moment James decided to look up and saw Lily looking in. He grinned and waved.

"Evans. Hey there Evans!" he called.

Lily rolled her eyes and stomped down the hall. Doe had to jog to catch up with her.

"...why won't he take a hint? I'm not interested" She snapped.

"Come on, Lily. He fancies you" Doe said softly.

"Well he shouldn't" she snapped.

Doe sighed. Whenever someone brought up James, Lily became irrational. James was arrogant, that much was obvious, but he did have some redeeming qualities. He was a good friend, and he worshipped the ground Lily walked on. Doe couldn't help but think that if he had those good qualities, he probably possessed more he didn't share.

Lily slid the door to Compartment C open and walked in. Inside where the prefects from every house and this year's head boy and girl were there. The head girl was a Hufflepuff named Margaret, and the head boy was a Ravenclaw named Olsen. Caradoc and Remus were already seated. She and Lily joined them.

"Hey ladies" Caradoc smiled. Doe smiled back. Caradoc was in their year as well, but he mostly spent time with his brother and his friends in sixth year. Doe often wondered if it was strange for Caradoc to be in the same dormitory as the Marauders without being close friends with them. She couldn't imagine not being close to someone shared a room with. She was practically attached to her friend's hips.

Remus looked up from the book he was reading to smile lightly at them. Doe returned it and then quickly looked away to look at the other prefects. Bartemius Crouch Jr., Emma Vanity, Severus Snape, and Elizabeth Merlin had been chosen as Slytherin prefects.

Lily waved happily to Severus. He returned it despite the looks from the other Slytherins. Lily and Severus were good friends from childhood. Doe didn't personally like or dislike Severus. She could see how he would be chosen as a prefect, but not Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had decent grades and was known for being a descendent of Merlin, but she was best friends with Bellatrix Black. And the two were always off trying to make someone's life miserable. They were the very worst of what Slytherin House had to offer. Both wealthy, bigoted purebloods, Bellatrix and Elizabeth sauntered around the castle acting as though they were better than everyone else and tried to make the lives of the Gryffindor's awful.

"I think that's everyone" Olsen said counting the prefects. Everyone put down what they were doing and began paying attention to him and Margaret.

"Congratulations Everyone" Margaret said brightly, "You've all been chosen as prefects for your houses because you're the best and the brightest."

"And as much of an honor, it also has certain responsibilities" Olsen warned, "You'll be patrolling the corridors at night and making sure no one is out of bed after hours, and you'll be expected to not fall below an E in any of your classes. You can also dock points from rule breakers"  
" Looks like James and Sirius won't be getting away with anything this year" Lily said quietly.

Doe shrugged, she doubted that Remus' badge would deter any mischief from them. Though, that had probably been what Dumbledore was hoping.

Margaret smiled, "Don't let Olsen scare you. There are perks. You get full use of the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor and extended library hours"

The extended library hours were something Doe had been looking forward to since getting the badge.

"I thought she said perks?" Elizabeth snickered to Emma. Doe glared at her.

"So Margaret and I have taken the liberty of devising your schedules, so we'll pass those out now" Olsen said handing each house a stack of scrolls. Doe opened hers apprehensively.

Monday - 9:00-10:00 Doe Meadowes & Lily Evans

Tuesday- 9:30-10:30 Doe Meadowes & Remus Lupin

Wednesday- 9:00-10:00 Doe Meadowes & Caradoc Dearborn

Thursday- 10:00-11:00 Doe Meadowes & Remus Lupin

It wasn't too bad. She had two shifts with Remus, and no Friday night patrols. The late night shifts were part of the deal.

"It looks like we only have one together" Lily said sadly.

"Oh that's rotten" She said trying to mask her guilt for not noticing. She had been too thrilled to have patrols with Remus and no Slytherin patrols.

"So after the feast it'll be your job to escort the first years to the common room and their dormitories" Margaret said.

"You're now dismissed. You can get your passwords on the way out" Olsen said.

The prefects all got up to leave. Remus and Caradoc following closely behind the two girls.

"The passwords 'crawling centaurs'" Lily said, "Olsen said it"

"The schedules weren't too bad, huh?" Caradoc said as they walked down the hallway.

" Not really, I got a few late nights though" Doe said softly.

" I got a few of those myself" Remus commented.

Doe felt herself start to blush as he looked at her. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from letting it spread.

"I think being a prefect is going to be great fun" Lily said.

Hestia Jones walked by and grabbed Caradoc by the arm, "Come on Dearborn. You have to see what Vance is doing to Bagman's broom. You simply won't believe it"

"See you guys" Caradoc said trailing after her.

"The library hours are going to be great" Remus said again, to his housemates.

"I know," Doe said excitedly, " It's going to be great"

If there was one thing the two had in common, it was there mutual love of the Hogwarts Library.

"As if you don't spend enough time there already" Lily teased.

Remus laughed quietly.

"Don't you start, Lupin. You spend as much time there as I do" Doe told him, feeling brave.

She could feel her stomach knotting itself as she spoke so brazenly.

He smiled, "I think I may have spent my entire fourth year with Madame Pince"

"I knew you weren't going for the books" she said with a sly smile.

"Oh yes, Madam Pince and I are thinking a June wedding" Remus joked.

Doe rolled her eyes lightly, a grin permanently plastered across her face.

They walked towards their compartment and Lily groaned loudly.

Doe looked over her shoulder. In their absence, James Sirius and Peter had joined Marlene and Mary in their compartment. Everyone was laughing.

Lily slid the door opened and sat down at the farthest corner of the room. Remus held the door open and let Doe walk in first, he followed in after her.

It was a tight fit with eight of them in there, but they managed to fit.

Doe could practically feel Lily's anger permeating through the entire compartment.

"So how was the meeting?" Sirius asked innocently.

"Boring" Lily snapped.

Sirius eyed her with an eyebrow raised, giving her a dirty look.

"Well at least you've got the badge _love_ " he harshly, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Marlene," Doe interjected diffusing the tension, " How was France?"

Marlene smiled widely, "Muggle boys".

"I'm sure your Grandma McKinnon just loved _that_ ," Sirius said, a grin plastered on his face.

"You know Old Birdface," Marlene rolled her eyes, "Wouldn't want her perfect pureblood granddaughter associating with that kind"

And she began telling them a very animated tale of her travels that had them all laughing, while the train neared closer to school.

"They're not any smaller than we were, Marley" Doe assured her.

"No they are definitely smaller, just look at that one!"

The sorting ceremony had just ended and instead of enjoying the feast, Marlene was insisting that the first years were smaller every year.

"They'll always look smaller, because you keep getting older" Mary said.

Marlene shook her golden head, perplexed, "No they _are_ smaller" she insisted, stabbing a piece of pheasant with her fork. She looked round at the first years sitting at the Gryffindor table with interest and contempt.

"There's no point in arguing, Mary" Doe said. Once Marlene got an idea in her head, she wouldn't listen to anyone. She had to learn lessons the hard way.

"Look," Marlene said pointing her fork at a newly sorted redheaded Gryffindor, " a mini Lily".

"She looks nothing like me" Lily said eyeing the girl, who apart from a shared hair color didn't resemble Lily at all.

"Because she's too young" Marlene announced loudly, looking rather pleased with herself, obviously thinking she had proven her point well. All of the girls burst out laughing.

"Come on McKinnon, she doesn't look a thing like our Evans here" James said joining the conversation. He has been sitting a few seats down, obviously eavesdropping.

"Firstly, I am not yours" Lily said harshly, "and no one invited you into this conversation, Potter".

James ruffled his hair, "Actually, McKinnon did. She talks so loud, she practically invited all of Gryffindor"

He was making a strange face, and Doe thought he even looked a tad embarrassed.

"I don't talk loud" Marlene said shrilly. She crossed her arms, and pouted.

"Unfortunately, you do love" Sirius said.

Marlene batted her eyelashes at him, "We all know you want me, Black"

"Anytime" Sirius winked.

Doe had to choke back the urge to vomit when they flirted like this. They were so blatant.

"Doe, would you mind passing me that cupcake?" Remus asked, ignoring their banter, and gesturing to one of the cupcakes adorning the plate in front of her.

Doe reached for it, and James shook his head furiously.

"Don't do it, Doe" James said to her warningly.

"Moony's a chocoholic. You'll just enable him" Sirius added humorously with a shake of his head.

"Oh shut it" Remus said, his cheeks flushing and his brows furrowed.

"Somehow, I think he'll be okay" Doe said handing the cupcake to Remus with a smile.

Remus smiled back at her wildly.

"You'll just contribute to his problem" Sirius said with a sigh.

Doe turned to Remus and gave him a knowing look, "Do your best and try not overdose, okay?" she told him.

"I'll work on that" he assured her.

James rolled his eyes, "You know he actually tried to convince us that chocolate helps after a dementor attack" he said throwing his head back in laughter.

"He's actually right about that" Doe told them, "it's a very well published theory"

"See James, that's what happens when you crack a book" Remus joked lightly.

Lily laughed a little too loudly at James expense. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Desperate not to get into another row among them, Doe turned to Marlene who was staring off at the Slytherin table. She had gotten oddly quiet and had an unreadable expression on her face.

Marlene wasn't often quiet.

"Everything okay, Mar?" Doe asked her, slightly concerned.

Marlene frowned, "I don't even think the Slytherins are friends with each other at all. They just all share a mutual love for hate"

Doe blinked at her in surprise. She hadn't been expecting her to say that.

"The whole lot of them are like that" Sirius told her, " I doubt Regulus has any real friends".

Doe's gaze drifted to where Regulus Black was sitting. He was Sirius' younger brother and she had known him her entire life.

He was a third year and looked like a less attractive version of Sirius, having not inherited his tanned complexion of excellent bone structure. Doe had never taken a particular liking to him. When she and Sirius were younger, he used to refuse to play with them. He just sat and stared, sometimes asking Doe about her 'muggle mom' with a smug look on his face. Now, he pretended to not have ever known her.

He barely looked at the people next to him now.

"Not all Slytherins are like that, though" Lily said crossing her arms.

James rolled his eyes, "If you're talking about Snivellus-"

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!" Lily said angrily.

She was always furious when James or Sirius insulted Severus. Which was very often, and usually ended with a screaming match between them.

She recovered herself and then turned back to him, "and anyway Professor Slughorn's a Slytherin and he's not bad"

"But Slughorn's a loon" Sirius said, "he told me he wished I had been in Slytherin so that he could've _had the set_ "

"You just say that because you're not in the Slug Club" Lily said.

The Slug Club were the group of pupils that Slughorn considered to be worthy of attention. Several times a year he invited them to dinner parties he threw to encourage networking.

Slughorn was a bit weird, but he did really care about his potions students.

"I like Slughorn" Doe said quietly.

"As do I" Remus added quickly.

"But you're all in the Slug Club. You're biased" Marlene stated.

"Lily, take it from someone whose entire family is in Slytherin" Sirius said sternly, "they're all slimy gits"

"The sorting hat likes to group families together. It mustn't have been happy you weren't a match for Slytherin" Mary said.

"I'd of killed myself rather than be a Slytherin" Sirius barked.

He was laughing but there was an intense sincerity to his face that startled everyone around them.

"I was almost a Hufflepuff" Peter said quietly.

"Hufflepuffs" James said with a pompous laugh.

Hufflepuffs had a reputation for being useless. And while Doe had known some really fantastic Hufflepuffs she couldn't deny that as a group they seemed to be a bit unmotivated.

"My dad's whole side of the family is Ravenclaw. I could have easily ended up there" Doe added.

"So you're blue-blooded?" Sirius asked, impressed with his own cleverness.

"Better than green" she snapped at him.

He laughed, "Touché, Meadowes".

They were interrupted by Dumbledore loudly clearing his throat. All of the hall fell silent.

"Welcome students to another wonderful year at Hogwarts." Everyone clapped and cheered.

"I just have a few start of term notices before you can all go up to bed" Dumbledore said, " As usual, the forbidden forest is _forbidden._ " Dumbledore's eyes fell on Sirius and James as he said this, "as some of our older students would do well to remember"

James and Sirius exchanged a wide grin that suggested they wouldn't be straying very far from the forest.

Dumbledore continued, "Our caretaker Mr. Filch has asked me to let you know that there are 234 banned items this year, a complete list of which can be found on the door to his office. On a lighter note, however this is going to be a very special year. We have a lot planned for you, but alas, you have a full day of classes tomorrow and your warm beds are waiting for you. So goodnight"

Everyone got up to leave. Lily and Doe walked over to the first years. Doe let Lily and Caradoc do the introductory speech. She knew Lily was dying to do it. So Doe stood in the back with the last first year. Remus was there also, answering a first year's question.

" ….. so as long as you hold onto the staircase railing, you should be fine if they decide to change on you" he said to the wide eyed boy.

"This is so weird, I remember the prefects telling that to us" She told Remus.

Remus smiled, "I remember it like it was yesterday".

" Hard to believe it was four years ago" She said as they began walking.

" That was back when you wore your hair in a plait everyday" Remus said and then made a face as if he'd said something wrong.

Doe put her hands over her face, " That was before I realized my face was far too round"

" Your face isn't too round" Remus said quickly.

She was about to respond when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A very scared looking first year who had just been sorted into Ravenclaw was cowering next to Evan Rosier and Sebastian McNair.

" Looks like we've got a perfect one here, eh McNair?" Rosier sneered.

" Dad's a squib, mum's a muggle-born. Perfect target." McNair agreed. The girl looked terrified.

" I'll catch up okay?" she said to Remus, and quickly walked over to them.

" Hey Rosier, McNair!" she called.

" Ah Meadowes, " Rosier smiled coolly, " you certainly grew up this summer" His eyes looked her up and down in a way that made her shiver.

" A pity her blood is so filthy" McNair said shaking his head.

Doe's skin was crawling. She didn't even like conversing with Slytherins like them.

" Indeed, how is your dear muggle mum?" Rosier asked.

" A true tragedy" McNair said disgusted, " a pureblood and a muggle"

People at Hogwarts rarely mentioned Doe's parents situations, even her friends. But Slytherins loved bringing up her parentage.

Her jaw clenched. "Leave her alone," she said gesturing to the girl, " she's just a first year".

They laughed and exchanged a look with one another, clearly not taking Doe very seriously.

She ground her teeth together, wishing she had a more threatening appearance. Sometimes Slytherins like this really infuriated her. She hated that they thought they were above the rules.

"Don't think I won't get Slughorn and have him write you up for this" she snapped, " I wonder how much your blood status will save you when you've already gotten the Slytherins into the negatives"

The grins fell from their faces. The young Ravenclaw had fled the scene during Doe's rant.

"You'll get yours, Meadowes. You can count on that" Rosier said slowly.

"I won't be holding my breath," She said and turned on her heels.

She tried to calm herself down as she walked back towards the common room, but it was difficult. Rosier's threat kept running through her head. Slytherins loved their revenge almost as much as they disliked the Gryffindors. Which made her worry that they might find a way to retaliate.

She managed to catch up with Remus before the first years entered the common room.

"Everything okay?" Remus asked as he helped her through the porthole, "I saw you talking to Rosier and McNair. It looked heated."

"They were bothering a first year" she said quickly.

"Well good thing you stopped it, how very Gryffindor of you" he said.

She smiled, "You know me, the very image of bravery" she joked.

" I should go," Remus said looking to where Sirius, Remus, and Peter were waiting for him.

" Goodnight" she said.

He waved to her quickly and followed his friends.

" Where were you?" Lily demanded when she walked over to her, " you missed them seeing the common room for the first time"

" I'm sure it was great, Lils" she said her heart still racing.

Between talking with Remus and Rosier's threat, her mind wouldn't shut up for a second.

"Let's just go to bed," she said to Lily following her up to the dormitory.


	2. 2 Fifth First Day

2

The Fifth First Day

Doe awoke on the first day of term to Lily's overly cheerful voice.

"It's our first day of classes, sleepy" Lily squealed, jumping on top of her sleeping body. Doe reached up and tried to push her off, but missed her by inches.

" Lily, shut up" Marlene moaned from the bed next to Doe's.

" I second that" Alice Prewett called from the bed in the corner. Mary was still snoring.

" Did you expect me to let you all sleep in and miss breakfast?" Lily demanded.

A few groans of annoyance later and Marlene's moody promise to hex Lily later and the five Gryffindor fifth year girls were all up and dressed. As they left the dormitory, Doe couldn't help but feel as though her skirt was a bit shorter. Maybe her legs had grown over the summer.

" Lily, does my skirt look shorter to you?" she asked.

She stopped and looked at her, surveying the length objectively, "It looks fine, honest"

Doe was satisfied enough with Lily's assurance and followed her to the Great Hall. When they got there, most of Gryffindor was at the house table, loading their plates with eggs, bacon and kippers.

" Oh, how I've missed Hogwarts food" Doe said biting into the apple tart in front of her.

" Mom, not much of a cook?" Emmeline Vance asked from further down the table

It took Doe a minute to respond. Emmeline was a sixth year Gryffindor, and she and Doe looked quite a bit alike. They had similar frames with dark hair and fair complexions.

" Not like this," she told her, " Muggle food mainly"

She took a sip of pumpkin juice, " and it's been months since I've had pumpkin juice"

" Doe's been deprived!" Marlene called out in mock horror, " Alert the house elves! They'll have a carton by your bed at all times"

" You know, kindness is a trait that most people admire. Right, McKinnon?" Landon McKinnon, Marlene's older brother asked joining them at the table.

" So I'm told, _McKinnon_ " Marlene said smugly.

Landon was a 7th year Gryffindor, and the youngest of Marlene's six older brothers. Doe had met all of the other five McKinnon brothers' various times over the summer and when they had been at Hogwarts, but Landon was the closest to their own age, so she knew him best.

" Hi, Doe" he said with a smile.

" Hi Landon, how've you been?" She asked.

" Splendid," Landon grinned, " Congrats on your badge by the way"

" Thank you," She told him.

" I knew you'd get it" he added with a large smile.

Doe thought she noticed him blush slightly when he said this, and she couldn't figure out why.

" and yours's as well, Lily" he added after.

" Thanks," Lily said brightly.

" So, Marlene" Landon began, " I've just gotten a letter from our eldest brother Klark telling me that Christmas Holiday is going to be in the isles"

" Ugh, " Marlene groaned, " It's always the in the isles."

" We'll survive, we always do" Landon said patting her head and rejoining his seventh year friends.

" Landon's so annoying" Marlene said rolling her eyes, as she watched her older brother plop down next to Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

" Cute though" Mary said wiggling her eyebrows.

" Mary!" Marlene said throwing her balled up napkin at her.

Mary ducked and stuck her tongue out at Marlene.

" Be happy you get along," Lily said sadly, " Petunia didn't say one word to me all summer"

" Is she still dating that awful boy, Vernon?" Marlene asked.

Lily shuddered violently, " They're inseparable"

" Guys, McGonagall's coming over" Mary hissed at them.

Professor McGonagall strode over to the four girls, " Good morning ladies, I have your schedules" she said passing them out.

" And here" she said loudly handing James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who had just walked into the great hall, their schedules, " for you lot who can't seem to be on time"

Doe opened her schedule and groaned. Today they had divination, followed by potions, history of magic, and charms. It wasn't a fun schedule.

" Bloody hell Minnie," Sirius said eyeing his schedule, " couldn't have given us a worse first day back"

" Detention, Mr. Black" McGonagall said angrily.

Sirius only grinned. " I knew you missed me"

McGonagall narrowed her eyes and strode away.

" Did you hear, Black?" Cormac Dracony, a fourth year asked, as soon as soon as McGonagall was out of earshot.

" Hear what?" Sirius asked, only half listening. Cormac was always trying to impress Sirius, so he only half paid attention now.

" That guy, you-know-who, killed a group of muggleborns in Diagon Alley yesterday" he said and slid today's copy of the prophet towards him.

James was wide eyed and Lily was pretending she hadn't heard. As a muggleborn, the rising popularity of You-Know-Who was most frightening to her.

" My dad told me the ministry was taking care of you-know-who" Doe said staring at the front of the paper.

" Is he still a magical law enforcer?" Sirius asked.

" Yeah, he's head of the department," Doe said reading the paper of his shoulder.

" He probably didn't know how bad it was" James said, " they say he's gotten stronger lately".

" It say's he looking for followers" Cormac interjected.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Wonder where he'll be recruiting from"

Everyone looked towards the Slytherin table.

It had all started when they were third years. Back then it was just whispers. Their parents and teachers gossiped about the rumor that a young wizard's was trying to rid the wizarding world of bloodtraitors and mudbloods, making it so that only the purest blood could practice magic. But in the two years that had followed since their third year, this You-Know-Who had gained massive popularity and followers. He was becoming very popular.

They all finished breakfast and headed up to their dormitories to get the books they needed.

" You don't think the you-know-who thing's anything to worry about do you?" Lily asked clutching her copy of 'unmasking the future'.

" I'm sure the aurors are handling it" Doe told her.

She nodded. Doe bit her lip in order to hide her thoughts. You-Know-Who was becoming more of a problem than she thought even the aurors would be able to handle soon, but she didn't let Lily know that. There was no need for her to worry yet.

Mary and Marlene had already left, so Lily and Doe headed to the Divination tower.

" Divination is such a rubbish class" Lily said climbing the tower.

" It's useless unless you're a seer" Doe agreed.

As soon as they entered the room, a thick perfume hit their noses. Professor Gibbons always burned too much incense. Mary and Marlene has saved two poufs at their table.

" Nice skirt" Sirius commented when Doe walked by. She sighed angrily.

" I told you it was short" She snapped to Lily. If Sirius was commenting on it, then Doe knew she need a longer one. Lily just laughed.

" Good Morning" Professor Gibbons announced, " We will be deciphering each other's dreams with the charge on page 139"

Doe flipped her book open to the page, and it revealed a very complex chart listing common dream themes and their meanings. According to the book, Lily's recent dream about fighting with Petunia meant she was destined for greatness, and Doe's about being late to class mean she'd be faced with a horrible secret.

As they wrote down the meanings, Professor Gibbons walked around and read them over their shoulders.

"Greatness," he smiled at Lily's paper and then looked to Doe's, " a horrible secret" he read.

" Yours or another's?" he asked.

" It didn't say" Doe told him.

He shook his head, " But what do you _see_?"

She didn't know how to answer. She didn't see anything. But rather than listening to Professor's Gibbon's lecture about how she needed to use her 'inner eye', she let her eyes slip close and pretending to be concentrating on seeing into the future.

" Someone else's secret, Professor" She guessed.

Professor Gibbons smiled, " perhaps we have a seer in our midst's"

" or a very convincing guesser" Lily added quietly with a giggle.

Doe smiled widely as Professor Gibbons left their table and began circling the room.

" That man is off his rocker" she said as soon as he was a good distance away.

" I'd of dropped Divination years ago, but Runes didn't sound much better" Mary said.

Doe flipped through the charts again, trying to further decipher the dream, when she was interrupted.

" I think I may go after Sirius this year" Marlene announced abruptly.

All three of the other girls turned and looked at her with absolute disbelief at her words.

" Marley, no don't" Lily begged.

Marlene grinned, " Come on, Lily it's bound to happen eventually, and I'm curious to see if he lives up to his reputations"

" Sirius has commitment issues" Mary warned.

" Who says I want a commitment?" Marlene asked, " it would be fun"

" You say that now" Doe told her, even though she knew Marlene would do what she wanted.

The clock tower chimed loudly signaling the end of the lesson. They all gathered their things and headed for the door with the rest of their classmates.

" Oh joy, potions" Marlene said unhappily.

" Potions is actually pretty interesting" Doe told her, " If you pay attention"

" Which she wont" Mary said.

They climbed down the tower and headed towards the dungeons. A chill fell upon them, the closer they got. It made Doe wonder how the Slytherins could handle such a cold environment for their common room.

The hallway outside the classrooms was lined with both Gryffindors and Slytherins. The Gryffindors groaned as they noticed who they would be having this class with. Potions could be exhausting enough without dealing with their enemies.

" Goody, Slytherins" Marlene said sarcastically.

" Not like we're looking forward to this any more than you are" Bellatrix called from the other side of hall, twirling one of her thick black curls.

If there was one person Doe despised most in this world, it was Bellatrix Black. She was completely full of herself and made it her mission to ruin the lives of those she thought less of.

" We got the short end of the stick here" Doe called back to her.

" What is it with you Gryffindors? You think so highly of yourselves" Elizabeth chimed from beside Bellatrix. Her tanned skin glowing with hatred.

" US!?" Marlene demanded, " were not the ones running around announcing our blood content!"

" Well you couldn't, could you?" Bellatrix snapped, " you're all a bunch of blood traitors and mudbloods"

Doe crossed her arms angrily, " You're all inbred anyway. Keep the bloodlines closed? More like keep it in the family"

She heard the Marauders snicker behind her.

" You've got quite a mouth on you, don't you Meadowes" Elizabeth snapped, drawing her wand.

Doe didn't even flinch. She could handle herself around them.

" I'd put that away if I were you, Ms. Merlin" Professor Slughorn said rounding the corner.

Elizabeth looked mildly irritated that her Head of House had stopped her from her hexing the Gryffindors. She threw a nasty look at Doe before following the rest of the Slytherins into the Dungeon.

Doe took her usual seat at the double desk with Lily and opened her copy of Advanced Potion-Making: Year 5.

Professor Slughorn was standing in front of his desk that was cluttered with several flasks of potions and ingredients. He had a wide smile as he looked at his fifth year students.

" Welcome back, my hungry pupils" Slughorn said with a grin.

He began to pace the room as he talked.

" I know this year is going to be challenging with you O.W.L.'s and career selection to think about, so I've planned the months leading up to the exams very carefully, with lots of reviewing. Until then, however, I think you need some practice" Slughorn started.

Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. Practice in potions usually meant extra homework or hours of reviewing potion steps.

" So I have planned an extensive O.W.L. related project that will help you master the concepts." Slughorn continued, "You will master five O.W.L potions and write an extensive research paper on them. In addition to the five essays, you'll be expected to write a 2 foot essay on what the project has taught you and how it's helped you prepare" he finished.

Everyone groaned. It was worse than they had thought. Fifth year was already hard, and it was only their first day.

" This is one huge project" Mary said sighing.

"I'm working with Lily!" Marlene shouted, knowing Lily was well versed in Potions

" Remus, you're my partner" Sirius added quickly.

" No fair, " James said, " I need a decent grade, If you're working with Remus, then I'm working with Doe"

" Hey!" Doe said loudly.

" Hush, Meadowes" James said quieting her with a wave.

Remus looked at her and gave her a fleeting smile. She smiled back and then turned back to Slughorn before she started blushing.

" Okay," Slughorn clapped his hands together to regain everyone's attention, " I have decided to make this project better by creating a little inter house unity. Which is why I will be pairing one Gryffindor with One Slytherin."

There was an uproar of groans and sighs at his words, from Gryffindors and Slytherins alike.

" You've got to be kidding me" James said angrily.

" I am not working with a bloody Slytherin" Sirius said irritably, eyeing the Slytherins across the room darkly.

" I'll read out the names of the partners so that you can join them" Slughorn said,

" Potter and Crouch

Mckinnon and Merlin

Lupin and Rosier

Evans and McNair

Prewett and Nott

Pettigrew and Vanity

Meadowes and Snape

Dearborn and Rift

Black and Malfoy

McDonald and Black "

" I swear to god, I am going to kill her" Marlene growled as she strode over to Elizabeth's table. She wasn't alone in her opinion. Most of the room was furious with who they had been partnered with.

" You got Snivellus, rotten luck" James said to Doe.

Doe looked over towards Severus, he didn't look like he had any intention of coming over to her, so she gathered her things and sat down next to him.

" Hello, Severus" she said as she sat down.

" Dorcas" he replied.

" Actually, I prefer Doe" she told him. His eyes flickered with annoyance, but Doe didn't care. She hated the name Dorcas. Irritating Severus was worth it so she didn't have to hear the name vocalized.

" Today will be for brainstorming, just try and come up with some ideas" Slughorn advised them as he walked by.

She turned to Severus, " Are there any ideas that you'd like to try out?" she asked him.

There was a moment of silence as he eyed her with what looked like contempt.

He narrowed his eyes, " Do you intend on doing any work on this project? Or do you plan on skating by with what I'm doing?" he demanded.

" I fully intend on doing my part" Doe snapped, " I was just being gracious"

" Excuse me for the mix-up" Severus said sarcastically, " you Gryffindors are not the image of scholarly work ethic"

Doe could feel her anger starting to form. She had come over here with the intention of working together with Snape, and not only was he being rude but he was being accusatory now.

" And Slytherins are?" she demanded, " because last time I checked, my potions marks were just as high as yours"

Snape rolled his eyes at her and turned away from her.

" I didn't come over here intending to bicker with you," she told him honestly," I just want a good mark which is also what you want right?"  
Severus didn't respond so she opened her book and began to read through all the different types of potions, trying to let her anger at Snape dissipate. He was as unreasonable as James and Sirius. She didn't understand where the hostility was coming from. She had been nothing but nice to him.

She angrily flipped through a potions textbook not looking at him.

" Veritaserum" Snape said after a few minutes.

" Excuse me?"

" We could do Veritaserum," Snape said, " It looks very impressive"

" The truth serum?" Doe asked, trying to be civil.

He nodded eagerly.

" We could make that one of them, if you want" she said nodding and writing it down on the parchment in front of her.

He nodded and seemed to have softened his angry exterior a bit.

" If you're all right with something a little bit challenging" Doe suggested, " There's always Amortentia"

He furrowed his brow for a moment, and then said, "we can probably do that".

They worked in silence for a few minutes, after that.

Severus was a very quick reader, it took him half the amount of time as her to read a page, and he scribbled little notes in the margins.

She eyed it oddly. It was cramped but he had managed to get quite a bit of information between the line of text.

" Do you want some parchment?" she asked.

" I prefer the margins" Severus said gripping the book tighter.

Slughorn had gone to the front of the room again and was now waiting to address the class once more.

" I hope this class period has been productive for you" Slughorn said happily, " but before I dismiss you, I want to warn you. Do not procrastinate. This project will take a lot of time and I expect you to allow for such"

Doe gathered her belongings " See you next class," she said to Severus and followed the other Gryffindors out of the room.

All of her housemates were gathered together, complaining as they walked.

" That was the worst bloody hour of my life" Sirius complained loudly.

" You think you had it bad?" Mary asked venomously, " I had your cousin"

" I feel for you, deeply" Sirius assured her.

" How was Severus?" Lily asked Doe, " was he nice to you?"

Doe shrugged, " He was alright. Didn't talk much"

" Maybe you two'll get to know each other now that you're working together" Lily suggested.

" Yeah, maybe" she told her, even though she highly doubted it.

The rest of the day passed by very slowly. History of Magic was as dull as usual and Professor Flitwick spent the entire charm class reviewing. By the time dinner rolled around, Doe was exhausted.

" Monday's are awful," she complained biting into her roast pork.

She barely had the energy to chew. All she could think about was putting in behind her and getting into bed.

" I hate to put an even bigger damper on your night, but we have to go patrol the fourth floor." Lily said, bursting with false enthusiasm.

Doe had completely forgotten about patrolling, and there was nothing she wanted to do less than walk around the castle.

She sighed, and got up from the table, following behind Lily.

Most of the other students were leaving the Great Hall and heading back to their common rooms.

" Can I ask you something?" Lily said as they walked off of the staircase and onto the fourth floor.

" Whats up, Lilypad?" Doe asked her, trying to stifle a yawn.

" I've been thinking a lot about Petunia lately," she said sadly.

" What about her?" Doe pressed further.

" What if it's my fault that we fight?" Lily said quickly, " Maybe I should have thought more about coming to Hogwarts"

Doe blinked quickly in surprise.

" You regret coming to Hogwarts?" She asked stopping in the middle of the floor.

" No! Of course not," Lily assured her, "It's just maybe I shouldn't have been so excited to leave her?"

" Thats ridiculous," Doe said shaking her head furiously., "You needed to come to Hogwarts, and you had every right to be excited. Your relationship with Petunia is the way it is because she's jealous, Lil"

" I know" Lily said softly, " I just wish we were closer, were sisters after all"

" I know, but you don't need Petunia, you have me, and Marlene and Mary" Doe assured her.

Lily's frown softened a little as she pulled Doe into a tight hug.

Doe felt for Lily. Doe had never had any siblings, her parents had only wanted one child. She couldn't imagine fighting with someone that you were supposed to be so close to.

" You'll always have us Lily, no matter what"


	3. Ch 3 Quality Time

3

Quality Time

"Now come on," Professor McGonagall said, "You are fifth years, this should be review".

It was their third Transfiguration lesson of the year and they were having trouble changing chairs into tables.

" Curifurius" Doe said pointing her wand at the chair in front of her. It wobbled feebly and one of the legs fell off. She frowned at it.

Lily tried it again and all hers did was shake violently. She crossed her arms in frustration.

" Curifurius" James said from across the room, His armchair folded itself into a small circular table. He was the first one to master it all day.

" 10 points to Gryffindor, Potter" McGonagall said observing the table, with a proud look on her face.

" How is he so good at that?" Lily demanded staring at her chair. She looked at James with a look of pure contempt.

" Everyone's got to be good at something. Transfiguration, is James' thing" Doe said, following her gaze to where James was grinning at the table fondly.

Lily tried the spell again and to no avail, the chair remained.

" Maybe James could tutor you" Doe suggested with a giggle.

" Oh, be quiet" Lily snapped.

Doe tried the spell three more times and nothing happened. She bit her lip in frustration. She was used to getting spells very quickly. She rarely needed help with magic. She didn't like to admit when any kind of magic was difficult for her.

" Do you need some help, Doe?" Remus asked. He had just transformed his into a nightstand, and had looked over to see her fail miserably.

" If you can," Doe said sheepishly. "I just can't seem to get this spell to work"

" I think it's your wand movement" Remus said coming beside her.

" May I?" he asked gesturing to her wand. She nodded. He placed his hand in front of hers and moved the wand up and to the right, rather than the left where she had previously been moving it.

" ou just have to move it this way" Remus said and his hand brushed over the top of hers.

She could feel herself blushing, as Remus' hand stayed on hers. It felt like there was an electric shock pulsing through her hand.

Remus pulled his hand back after a moment, "So try that, and see if it helps".

She lifted her wand the correct way and the chair in front of her transformed into a small coffee table.

" It worked" she said gleefully, amazed that it had been such an easy mistake.

" Thank you so much" she told Remus.

He smiled brightly at her, " Anytime".

The rest of the class was still struggling with the spell, and Professor McGonagall was clearly disappointed.

" Your homework for tonight is to master this spell" McGonagall said sternly, " and I do not want a single broken chair in the common room!"

The Gryffindors packed up their things and headed back to the common room. Doe sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and pulled out some History of Magic work from her bag.

" Dorcas, that isn't due until next week" Marlene said rolling her eyes and taking a seat in the armchair opposite me.

" That name" Doe said cringing at her given name. It didn't matter how many times she heard it, it still caused the same shiver of disgust whenever anyone used it.

She opened the History of Magic textbook and began flipping through the textbook, searching out Goblin names and dates of rebellions.

" Well write mine while you're at it" Marlene said throwing her legs over the arm of the chair and flipping through an abandoned copy of Witch Weekly.

She flipped through the pages quickly and stopped at a particular page, her eyes widening with delight.

" Oh look, they've invented a potion to make it easier to talk to boys, interested Doe?" Marlene asked holding out the ad from the magazine.

Doe pushed it away from her face, pouting slightly at Marlene.

" By the looks of it today, she doesn't need it" Lily said grinning from her own armchair.

" What do you mean?" Doe asked looking up at her, an eyebrow raised.

" Well, you and Lupin looked pretty cozy in Transfiguration today" she said.

" He was helping me with the spell" Doe said shaking her head adamantly.

She turned back to her composition.

" I happened to notice his hand lingering on yours a bit when showing you the wand movements" Mary commented.

" He did not" Doe said sternly, as the portrait hole opened and the Marauders walked in.

" Now shut it, you three" She said warningly.

The last thing she needed was for any of the Marauders to hear what herfriends bothering her about Remus.

Mary rolled her eyes, " You sound pretty nervous about it"

" Mary if you don't shut it, I swear to Merlin, I will hex you-"

" Careful Doe," James said walking over and plopping down on the chair next to Lily, " Evans here is a prefect and she may just have to dock points"

"I'm a prefect too" Doe said, and James ignored her looking directly at Lily.

" What do you want, Potter?" Lily asked scooting further away from him.

Remus and Peter occupied the other couch, while Sirius leaned on the arm of Marlene's chair.

" Just to see you, Lily" James winked at her.

Lily crossed her arms, " Find someone else to bother"

" Nah" James grinned, " I've chosen you"

"Lucky me" Lily snapped darkly, elicting a wider smile from James.

" But seriously" Mary said, " What are you doing here?"

Sirius grinned widely and pulled a bottle of firewhiskey out of his bag, " We were thinking of a fun game of 'Never have I ever' and figured you birds would be game"

Marlene clapped happily and turned to Mary with a look of excitement. Doe looked at the bottle apprehensively, she had been warned against Firewhiskey. Lily however was looking at the bottle with utmost disgust.

" So you want all of us, all underage, might I add, to drink?" Lily asked angrily.

Sirius smiled, " Well it's a Friday night and you birds doing homework so yeah we figured you would want to. Plus you only have to drink if you've done what someone says, so you should be fine, Evans"

" Sounds fun" Marlene said leaning against Sirius in a very suggestive way.

" I don't know" Remus said warily.

" What about McGonagall?" Doe asked.

" Oh come down, She's in a staff meeting" James assured them.

" Let's play" Marlene said sternly eyeing Doe and Lily.

" I'll play" Mary said.

" Me too," Peter said.

" And the prefects?" Sirius asked.

" I guess," Remus said with a tone of disappointment.

" Fine" Doe said softly.

" Lily?" Marlene practically begged.

Lily crossed her arms tightly, " whatever".

Marlene clapped happily and began distributing the plastic cups that Sirius had brought, while James filled each one with a little bit of firewhiskey.

Doe threw an anxious glance back at the Portrait Hole. If McGonagall came in and busted them, Doe swore she would kill Sirius.

" I'll start" James said grinning, " Never have I ever had green eyes"

" You did that on purpose" Lily said narrowing her emerald colored eyes.

" You have to take a sip, Lily. " Marlene said.

Lily scowled and took a tiny sip from her cup. It was obvious that she hadn't wanted to and she was blaming James even further for this.

" Never have I ever played quidditch" Lily snapped looking directly at James.

Everyone took a sip. The firewhiskey burned Doe's throat on the way down.

" Never have I ever snogged a girl" Mary said proudly.

James, Sirius, and Marlene all took a sip from their cup.

" Marlene?" Lily asked.

Marlene smiled, " I was a wee bit drunk at James' last birthday party"  
"Curious, Mckinnon" Sirius said.

Marlene smiled and wiggled her shoulders.

Doe was pretty sure Marlene had made that last one up, but if she wanted to impress Sirius, Doe wasn't going to stop her.

" Your turn Remus" Marlene said.

Remus sighed, "Alright, never have I ever had a detention"

Everyone apart from Remus took a sip from their cup. Doe couldn't help but notice the burn in her throat was getting worse rather than better.

" You've had a detention?" Remus asked Doe, full of surprise.

" Once in third year" she said choking slightly on the firewhiskey, " and it was all Sirius' fault"

" I didn't tell you to be out of bed after hours" Sirius said sternly.

" You told me there was an urgent owl waiting for me," she said incredulously, " and lied to McGonagall afterwards"

" Guess you shouldn't have ratted on me" Sirius said with a smile.

" You were planning on turning Marlene's hair blue!" Doe shouted in exasperation.

" I forgot about that" Marlene said shoving Sirius hard in the shoulder.

Sirius grinned at Marlene and the slight frown fell from her face almost immediately.

" Never have I ever lost points from Gryffindor" Doe said proudly. It was one of the things that made her most proud. She had a tremendous amount of pride for her house, and she never wanted to be the cause of them losing points.

The game began continued for another hour until Marlene, James and Sirius were far too gone to continue.

Peter had gone upstairs after only two rounds and both Lily and Marlene had given up to go watch Ludo Bagman flex his muscles while tossing a quaffle in the air.

James and Sirius had gotten so drunk they were laughing at everything and making incoherent jokes while the other laughed.

Marlene had gotten to the stage where she just giggled loudly.

It had left only a sober Doe and Remus to take care of their inebriated friends.

" looks like they lose" Remus said, both his cup and Doe's had only a few sips gone.

" Shocking, huh?" Doe said sarcastically.

Remus laughed, helping her clean up the cups " They always lose, it's a wonder why they play"

" Maybe that's why" Doe told him wrapping her arm around Marlene's waist, she was practically passed out.

" You may be right" Remus said helping get James and Sirius to their feet.

" So what's your favorite book?" Remus asked her a few nights later when they were patrolling.

" Muggle or Magical?" Doe asked running her hands through the ends of her hair.

" Magical" Remus said.

" Hogwarts; A History" she said without pausing.

" Really?" Remus said and blinked a few times, " May I ask why?"

She smiled, " I don't know. I just find Hogwarts very fascinating. It's the first place that some people get to experience magic" She stopped when she realized she was babbling.

" No I agree, that's why I read it too" Remus said.

She smiled. Remus always knew exactly what to say. She was really glad he was interested in the same things she was. Usually the only person who listen to Doe go on about books was Lily, and even she grew bored of the topic quickly.

" What about you?" Doe asked him.

He thought for a moment, " A History of Magic"

" By Bathilda Bagshot?" She asked excitedly.

" You've read it?" Remus asked, his expression appearing shocked.

" Of course I've read it" she told him.

His smile widened, " Most people find it a boring read"

" I find it intriguing. It's all of our history" She said.

Remus flashed her a strange expression. It was a look he had never given her before.

They rounded a corner and saw a group of Slytherins all sitting around a bench. It was after hours and Doe took out her wand, not fancying a late night duel.

" It's after hours" Remus called to them, " You need to go back to your common room"

" And who's going to make us?" One of them called. The group shifted a little.

Rabastan Lestrange was the one who had spoken out. Doe froze.

" Ah, Doe. Lovely to see you" He winked. His handsome face drawn out into a cruel smile.

Doe fidgeted, suddenly uncomfortable.

Rabastan Lestrange was a 6th year Slytherin that she had known for years. His father, Amycus had worked in the same department as her father, so she had seen him quite a lot when she was younger. Rabastan had taken advantage of this, and bothered her for years. When they were little it had mostly consisted of charming bugs to follow her or hiding her things but as they grew older it had turned into something that made Doe uncomfortable. She couldn't even be in the same with him, without worrying what he was thinking of doing. He was one of the Slytherins who wrongly believed his behaviors had no punishable consequences.

" Seriously go to your common room or I'll fetch Slughorn myself" Remus said harshly.

" Easy Gryffindor" Rabastan said to Remus as he walked over to Doe, " Doe and I are old friends"

" We're not friends, go to your common room" she said crossing her arms and taking a step back.

Rabastan Lestrange was one of the few people who could get under Doe's skin without fail.

" Chill it, Meadowes" Evan Rosier called.

Remus seemed to notice how uncomfortable she was.

" Shall I get Slughorn?" Remus asked again.

" No need," Rabastan said with his soothing tongue, " We were just heading there now".

Slowly, the group left and headed towards the dungeons. Rabastan threw one more glance and Doe before he rounded the corner. She shook her head, not wanting to acknowledge his actions.

" Slytherins" Remus said shaking his head.

" Rabastan Lestrange is a piece of work" she said watching the last Slytherin round the corner.

" Do you know him well?" Remus asked not looking away from her.

"Better than I'd like too" Doe said quickly, not wanting to elaborate.

They walked further down the corridor. Doe let her mind wander to the Slytherin Common Room. She had always wondered where exactly it was. Somewhere in the dungeons. Maybe Sirius knew, she would ask him if she remembered.

" So, Doe." Remus began bringing her out of her thoughts, " I was wondering if maybe you wanted to-". He was cut off by a loud cry.

In front of McGonagall's office, Gemma Fairview, a pretty fourth year Gryffindor was dressed in her dressing gown, bawling loudly. Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore were standing in front of her trying desperately to console her.

Dumbledore stopped and eyed the two prefects questionably while Gemma wiped her tears on her sleeve.

" Professor is everything alright?" Doe asked.

Dumbledore nodded curtly, " You two should go back to your dormitories, enough patrolling for tonight" he said looking back to Gemma, who was still sobbing loudly.

Remus and Doe cast another glance at Gemma, and then looked back at each other.

" You heard Professor Dumbledore" Professor McGonagall said, still trying calm down Gemma, Remus and Doe quickly walked back to the common room.

" What do you think that was about?" Doe asked Remus, " She looked so upset"

" I haven't the faintest idea" Remus answered.

They approached the painting of the Fat Lady who looked as though she had fallen asleep.

" Um, Crawling Centaurs" Remus said quietly not wanting to disturb her too much.

" Ah yes, alright then" The Fat Lady said swinging open to allow the two of them to enter the common room.

" Well, I'll see you tomorrow then, Remus" Doe said slightly distracted. She was still thinking about Gemma Fairview and what could have caused her to be so upset.

" Goodnight, Doe" Remus said.

They both parted ways and headed back to their dormitories.


	4. Ch 4 All Hallows Eve

4

All Hallow's Party

The news of Gemma Fairview's incident spread across Hogwarts quicker than wildfire.

Her parents, both of whom were outspoken muggle-borns, had been found murdered in the homes. It was the killing curse, and hovering above their Sussex home, was a dark mark.

You Know Who's mark. It was splattered all across the front page of the prophet.

Gemma Fairview had left the school last night to be with family.

" So did you hear?" Remus asked Doe in the common room the next morning. It had been all she had heard in the dormitories this morning. All of Gryffindor was talking about it.

" Yeah I did, " She told him, " It kind of explains last night"

Remus nodded solemnly.

" It's sort of terrifying huh?" Marlene asked, " You-Know-Who is a lot stronger than they're letting on"

"Marls, I'm sure they'll handle it, the ministry won't let these attacks continue" Doe said gesturing her eyes towards Lily, who had become quite pale.

Doe had noticed that Lily seemed more nervous as You-Know-Who gained power, and Doe couldn't blame her. Part of You-Know-Who's popularity was his intent to destroy muggle-borns.

" Yeah I'm sure they will " Marlene said catching on.

Lily wrapped her arms around her legs, and offered them a feeble smile.

" I'm going to go to the library I think" Doe said getting up and gathering her things.

" You're so weird!" Marlene shouted, " Behold the thing that studies too much"

Doe rolled her eyes, and headed towards the library.

It was very bright this morning. A little bit of sunshine was pouring in through the windows and casting light onto the rows of books and empty tables. The library itself was relatively empty. Most of the student's were off doing something else with their free time.

Doe liked it when it was like this.

It was easy to get things done and slip into a quiet little world of her own.

There were a lot of empty tables, but there was one in the back that had only one person sitting there.

Severus was sitting amongst a pile of books. Part of her wanted to pretend that she didn't see him, and the other part of her forced her to be nice.

Letting her kind side rule, she walked over to the table where Severus sat.

" Mind if I sit here?" she asked.

Severus looked up at her with a strange look on his face, " If you must".

It looked as if it had pained him to say it.

" You know," she said sitting down, " when someone makes an effort to be nice, it's usually customary to return it".

Severus rolled his eyes. He had several large potions books open in front of him and had obviously been immersed in them before she got there.

" Are you working on the project?" she asked eyeing the largest book on the table, whose title read " Impressive Potions of the New Century'

" Yes I am," Severus said harshly, " What great observational skills you have"

Doe blinked in shock. She thought she had been rather polite to him.

" Someone's a little cranky today" she said opening the cover of her own book.

He didn't respond. So the two sat in silence for awhile, both too engrossed in their books to attempt to make any more uncomfortable chit chat.

" You know, I'm Lily's friend too" Doe told him after a while.

" I know" Severus responded curtly.

" So were probably pretty similar," Doe said, " we could try being nice".

Severus eyed her curiously, " You must really want an O on this project".

Doe laughed lightly, " I just think this project will go much more smoothly if we get along"

" Well when you get the chance, I have come up with ideas for the project" Severus said sliding a piece of paper towards her.

On the paper were several different potions, each one very complex. Doe smiled lightly to herself, for Severus she knew this was something akin to a truce flag.

" I'll look them over, okay? and we can talk about them in Potions" She told him.

He didn't look up from his book, he just nodded.

They both worked in silence for a little while. Every so often he would look up from the book and give her a curious stare before turning back to whatever he was doing.

Doe let her eyes wander up to the window that overlooked the grounds. They looked as though they were shining. She decided it might be nice to go out and enjoy it a bit.

" See you Severus" She said gathering her books and getting up from the table. Severus didn't acknowledge her.

As Doe left the library and past the large clusters of students enjoying their Saturdays.

The grounds were clustered with people who were out on the lawn. A few first years were lounging underneath the beech tree and couple of Ravenclaw third years were doing cartwheels down the hill.

Despite all of the sunlight, there was a slight autumn breeze.

From where she was, she could see a figure sitting on the dock that hovered over the black lake.

Remus was sitting on it, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the dock.

Doe debated with herself for a moment before she decided to go over.

" Hey, Lupin" She said walking over to where he sat.

" Oh, Doe. Hi" Remus said smiling wider.

" Do you want some company?" she asked him.

Remus nodded eagerly, " Sure, sit down. Please" he said patting the spot next to him.

" It's really pretty out today" Doe said staring at the water. Its normal black color was more of a light charcoal.

By winter, it would be so dark you couldn't even see in it.

" I love autumn," Remus said, " it's got all the beauty of winter without the bitterness"

"Fall is my favorite. I love the beginning of a new school year" Doe said, the water beneath them moved silently.

She could just make out the shape of the Giant Squid underneath them.

"Your birthday is in the fall right?" Remus asked.

She looked at him oddly, "Yeah it is, I can't believe you remembered that"

Remus smiled, "I'm not likely to forget the birthday of my one of my friends. Although James and Sirius do it often enough"

" You always have been the most responsible of the Marauders" she said in agreement.

He narrowed his eyebrows, " You know sometimes I don't understand why they're friends with me"

He stopped and looked as though he wished he hadn't spoken.

He blinked quickly, " I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that"

" Hey, " Doe said placing her hand next to his, "Just because you're different from them, doesn't mean that they're any better"

Remus smiled slightly, " Have I found the one person at Hogwarts who is not completely dazzled by James' and Sirius' lifestyle"

Doe laughed staring down into the lake, " I think you're my favorite Marauder".

Remus' smile widened, "I think that's the first time I've heard that"

Doe felt her chest tighten as smiled at her. She couldn't help but notice how nicely his brown eyes crinkled when he smiled. They were exchanging banter and for the first time Doe felt like maybe Marlene was right, and maybe he was flirting with her.

" Ah come on," she said smiling, "You're easily the smartest, and the most rational"

" Oh stop" Remus said throwing a small stone into the water, a slight smile on his face.

The stone made a little noise as it bounced off the squid and his tentacle reached out of the water.

" You better be careful, before the Giant Squid decides he wants to eat you" Doe warned, pulling her legs back over the edge.

Remus grinned and shook his head, " I'm not worried, the giant squid's an herbivore"

" Lupin the Know-it-all" Doe teased.

Remus grinned, " We all have our strengths"

Before she could respond, the wind blew by at that moment, causing her to shiver slightly.

" Are you cold?" Remus asked, he shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and handed it to her.

" I couldn't" she said shaking her head furiously.

He rolled his eyes lightly, " It's fine Doe, honest" he said handing it to her.

It was brown and had leather patches on the elbows. It was one he had worn several times.

" Thank you," she said slipping into it. It smelled just like him, and she found it very comforting.

Remus smiled again and leaned slightly closer to her. Doe felt her heart begin to race faster.

" HEY YOU TWO" Sirius said trotting down the pier. Both Remus and Doe jumped backward slightly in surprise.

" Hello Sirius" Remus said with a sigh, as he sat down in between Remus and Doe.

"What are we doing here?" Sirius asked happily.

" Just talking, Sirius" Remus said quickly.

Doe's heart was now racing so fast she thought she was going to pass out.

" I'm going to go, actually" Doe said getting up, " Thank you for the jacket"

She took it off and handed it to him. Remus took it, looking less thrilled than he had a moment before.

" See you, Doe" he called after her.

She left the pier with an odd feeling. It had felt like something was about to happen between her and Remus before Sirius got there. She had even thought he was going to kiss her.

She shook her head. No, that was just Remus. He was polite and honest. And anyway he had said 'friend' didn't he.

She must have just been reading too much into the situation.

As the weeks continued on, all anyone could talk about in the castle was the impending Marauder Halloween party.

Marauder parties were legendary. Whenever the Marauders found an excuse to have a party, be that for a Quidditch win or a Holiday, everyone ended up in the Common Room for all hours of the night. They had been throwing parties on Halloween for the last two years.

This year they had decided to make it a costume party, and invited everyone 4th year and above, except for the Slytherins. They never invited the Slytherins.

Doe knew that Sirius and James liked to do everything in excess. She doubted that this party would be anything other than an all night rager that got half of Gryffindor drunk on firewhiskey.

Unfortunately, the next day was the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, so all of those who partied to hard wouldn't be able to properly enjoy it.

This year Halloween fell on Friday, so Marlene, Lily, Mary and Doe got up extra early so they could sit in the dormitory to discuss costumes.

" I think these will work," Doe said pulling the abandoned fairy wings out of Mary's trunk, " Thanks Mary, I would have been lost without these".

" No problem" Mary said, " I anticipated the Marauders party and planned accordingly".

" You know, Doe. I'm surprised you actually agreed to go" Marlene said leaning against her pillows. She cast a wary glance at her dark haired friend, " we usually have to beg you to come to the marauder parties".

" Yeah you usually go on and on about how 'irresponsible' they are" Mary interjected.

Doe began to blush slightly, " Oh, I don't know. I just love Halloween"

" Uh, huh. Or maybe you're just looking forward to seeing a certain marauder" Lily said.

Doe had told them about what happened at the pier with Remus and now was regretting it ever since. They couldn't go five minutes without someone making a joke.

She grabbed a pillow off of the bed and tossed it at Lily, ignoring the laughter of her friends.

" It just might be fun this year" she told them. knowing her blushing was betraying her anyway.

" Of course we believe you" Marlene said sarcastically, rolling her eyes to compliment her wide grin.

" Can't you just be excited that I'm going?" Doe asked her, fastening flowers to the dress she planned on wearing that night.

Marlene smiled widely, "Oh I am. The marauder parties are legendary"

" Notorious, is more like it" Mary said.

" Either way, there's nothing like them. James and Sirius go all out" Marlene said.

Doe wrinkled her forehead, " Do you think McGonagall knows about it?" she asked.

" Not a chance" Marlene said quickly, " It's kept well under wraps".

" But the whole school knows" Doe pointed out.

" Trust me, McGonagall doesn't know. The whole staff has a get together for hours after the feast in Dumbledore's office." Marlene assured me.

" Is it just Gryffindor's who go?" Doe asked her as they got up to leave the dormitory.

Mary shook her head, " No, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are invited too. But no Slytherins"

" Which is ridiculous," Lily said shaking her ginger head angrily, " Not all Slytherins are evil".

" But most of them are" Marlene said pulling her hair until a knot on top of her head.

The four of them walked down the corridor of the school and into the Great Hall. They were still early, but most of Gryffindor was at the House table enjoying breakfast.

Doe sat down and served herself some toast. Her copy of the prophet had been waiting for her at the table. There was nothing terribly exciting in it today.

She flipped through a few pages of articles and read an article about the newest goblin hired at Gringotts.

" Surely you've got something more interesting to do than read articles on banks, right Meadowes?" Sirius asked, as he and the other Marauders sat down next to Doe and her friends.

" Not if you're around, Black" Doe said not looking up from the prophet article she was reading.

Lily burst into loud laughter while the rest of them sniggered

" You hurt me, Meadowes" Sirius said playfully.

" You'll live" Doe told him.

The rest of the the Marauders let out a chuckle at her comment.

" I'd leave her alone, Sirius" Marlene warned, " Doe's mean when she's trying to read"

Sirius frowned, " So's Moony"

They finished breakfast and headed down to Herbology. It was cold outside again. The end of October was bringing cold weather, and soon they knew they would need to break out their scarlet and gold scarves.

Most of the day passed by very slowly, but the teacher's tried to make the day as festive as they could.

Professor Sprout had brought them to Hagrid's pumpkin patch and had them tend to the pumpkins that were now almost to the students waists.

In Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Henley showed them Ridgels. A strange creature that resembled a bat almost exactly but when angered sprouted large purple horns.

By the time they got to lunch, it seemed as if the day was passing by slowly because of their shared excitement.

Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs seemed as if they were ancy for the rest of the day to speed up.

After lunch, Professor McGonagall taught them all how to transfigure a lamp into Jack of Lanterns. Something that much to Lily's dismay, James mastered in the first two minutes.

Even Professor Flitwick seemed to be possessed by the Halloween spirit, teaching them a quick little charm to make any inanimate object shout " BOO!".

When it was finally time for dinner, Doe practically sprinted to the Great Hall. It was decorated beautifully from floor to ceiling, and the tables were lined with delicious looking food.

Marlene could barely contain her excitement. While everyone ate, she bounced in her seat.

" Marley, calm down" Doe hissed at her.

" I'm sorry," she said eagerly, " I just really want to get my costume on"

" Excited for our little soiree, are you McKinnon?" Sirius asked from across the table.

Marlene flipped her hair behind her shoulder, " Oh you know, if I dain to show up" she said with a laugh.

Sirius chuckled and Marlene flashed her a classic Marlene grin.

The feast continued, everyone discussing the party in hushed tones. It began one hour after the feast ended.

Marlene practically dragged them all back into their dormitory as soon as the plates disappeared from the table.

" Marls, what's the rush?" Doe asked as she sat them all down on their beds.

" We have to get our costumes on so we can do our hair and makeup, silly" Marlene said.

She grabbed her costume out of her trunk and dashed behind her bed.

" I'm very scared, if you're that excited" Lily called getting out her own costume.

Doe grabbed the purple dress she planned to wear with her wings and put it on. Lily had helped her to sew little flowers and leaves on the skirt in order to make it look more 'pixie' like. She had also made a crown on leaves that sat on her head.

Doe slipped on the wings, finishing the costume.

" That looks really cute on you" Lily said coming around the corner. She was dressed her own costume, a pink chiffon genie outfit.

" All thanks to you and Mary" Doe told her.

" Mary the costume queen?" Mary asked coming out in her own costume, a pirate outfit decked out with a sword and an eyepatch.

" Marlene" Doe called loudly, " come out here. We want to see"

" Alright, if you insist" Marlene called and dashed out of the bathroom.

She was wearing a long-sleeve skintight black leather catsuit with matching ears. It was cut down very low, and tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination.

It was just as over the top as Doe had thought it would be.

" Wow, " Lily said,

" Yeah its very.." Doe trailed off.

" I think Sirius is going to love it" Marlene purred, hanging off her bedpost.

" Oh he will" Mary said, " and so will the rest of the boys there"

Doe caught Mary's eye and they exchanged a worried glance.

" He needs to notice me" Marlene said, " and this is the perfect way"

The heard music began playing downstairs and it got louder as it mixed with the voices of the arriving guests.

" It's starting let's go!" Marlene said practically running down the stairs. Mary followed after her quickly, while Lily and Doe walked down together.

They were not expecting what was waiting for them down there.

The entire common room was decorated with Halloween festivities. Hanging Jack-o-Lanterns were floating in mid air from a levitation spell, miles of cobwebs were strung across the walls, and orange streamers were clustered together.

All of the Gryffindors, most of the Ravenclaws, and a few of the Hufflepuffs were all huddled around the common room clad in costumes. Music was blaring through the room so loudly it seemed to vibrate, and two tables had been pushed together in the back adorned with food and drinks.

" Woah" Doe said to Lily.

" So this is what we've been missing" Lily in agreement.

" Ah and the lovely prefects have arrived" Sirius said greeting them at the stairs.

He was dressed as a greek god, shirtless except for a white toga draped around him.

Doe knew he would somehow find a way to be as close to naked as possible.

He had two red cups in his hands, he handed one to each of them.

" Drink, party, enjoy" he said loudly.

Doe could smell the firewhiskey in the cup. She handed it back to him, " I'm going to take it slow"

Sirius grinned widely, " We'll break you eventually, Meadowes" he said as he walked away.

Lily clutched her cup tightly, " Ugh James just saw me he's going to come over. I'll find you in a minute" she said disappearing into the crowd.

Doe wandered over to the other side of the room, very unsure of what to do with herself. The room was crowded full of people she knew, but rarely went to these parties.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Remus sitting down on one of the chairs. He was dressed as a vampire, complete with a cape and fangs.

" You know I wouldn't expect to see you here" Doe told him, walking over to the chair he was sitting on.

He smiled, revealing the stark white fake fangs, " My roommates are hosting this party, I'm obligated to be here"

" This a marauder party, " Doe told him, " so technically, you are also hosting"

He grinned, " Leave it to you, Doe".

She bit her lip nervously, and old habit. Remus seemed to be as unsure of what to do with himself at this party as she did.

" I like your costume" She told him, " very creative."

" I like yours as well" he said, " a pixie?"

She nodded, " Thank Mary, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have a costume"

" Well, I'm glad you're here. Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.

" Anything but firewhiskey" she said quickly. She wished she had slowed down when she said it. She always managed to make herself look like an idiot in front of him.

" A butterbeer coming right up" he said and headed towards the drink table.

Doe watched him disappear across the room and turned to watch as two sixth year Ravenclaws dressed as princesses strode by.

" Doe Meadowes at a Marauder party?" Landon called from behind her.

" Hi, Landon" Doe said turning around to face him, smiling slightly.

He was dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck. Doe found it to be extremely funny, growing up as a Pureblood Landon would have never seen a doctor.

" I'm a muggle doctor, I hear they're quite successful" Landon said.

She laughed, " You've never been to one have you?".

He shook his head, " I'm a St. Mungo's kid all the way".

" Well you've certainly captured the look" she told him.

" I like your costume too" Landon said playing with the end of her wing, " You're much prettier than the pixies we study in defense against the dark arts"

Doe could feel her cheeks burning. He had just called her pretty.

" Well I don't have the pointed ears or the bright blue skin. That might help" She said laughing lightly trying to distract from the turn the conversation was taking. Landon was Marlene's brother and she didn't think anyone would appreciate him being any more than that.

" Doe" Remus said walking over and handing her the cup of butterbeer.

"Oh, thank you" Doe said smiling brightly at him

" Oh, hey Remus" Landon said taking a step closer to Doe, " we were just discussing how Doe's looks are far superior to that of a real pixie"

Doe eyes Landon strangely, shocked at how cavalierly he had just said that. Remus's eyes darted quickly from Doe to Landon, looking almost frantic.

Remus pursed his lips. He looked conflicted about something.

" Doe, will you come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" He blurted quickly.

He looked extremely uncomfortable as soon as the words had escaped his mouth.

" With you? Tomorrow?" She asked Remus.

His eyebrows furrowed together and his mouth was open slightly, " Yes" he nodded.

Landon was looking at Doe quizzically, and she was suddenly very uncomfortable having both Remus and Landon watching her.

" I think I should probably give you two a moment" Landon said quickly and disappeared through the crowd and leaving the two of them alone.

"Yes " Doe said quickly, turning back to Remus.

He smiled a little, " Great so tomorrow then?" he asked quickly, he looked rather nervous.

She nodded.

"Okay. Great," he said quickly, "I have to find James, but I will see you tomorrow" he said and walked away quickly.

Doe was left very dazed. She took a quick sip of butterbeer to try and calm herself down.

Remus had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him. It was very sudden, and he seemed rather uncomfortable doing it.

Maybe it was just a formality. Maybe he just wanted to be polite.

" Hey there, Doe-re-mi" Mary said when she walked by her, " why so quiet?"

Doe waited a moment and then told her everything that happened in a hushed whisper.

" Wow," Mary said taking it in, " that's a date".

" I dunno, it didn't seem like it" Doe told her, shrugging.

She shook her head, " Trust me, Doe"

Mary could tell she was unconvinced. She sat down on the arm of her chair, watching the other party goers.

Lily was talking earnestly to Laura Abbott across the room and Marlene was throwing herself at Sirius. She had the attention of most of the boys in the room.

Ludo Bagman couldn't take his eyes off of her, and Dirk Cresswell was hovering near her with a drink in his hand ready to pounce. Marlene however, ignored everyone but Sirius.

" Marlene and Sirius might just be the next it couple huh?" Amelia Bones said walking over to Doe and Mary.

Amelia was a Hufflepuff in their year, but she wasn't like the usual Hufflepuff. She was a great dueler and was extremely outspoken, defying the 'useless Hufflepuff' stereotype.

" I'm sure Marlene hopes so" Doe told her.

She laughed, " Well she should. Only someone who looks like Marlene would be able to tame the infamous Sirius Black".

They watched as Marlene said something to Sirius again in a hushed voice. Her long blond hair fell down her back and she looked so beautiful that she complemented Sirius' looks nicely.

" If he can be tamed at all" Doe said.

" True," she said, " he's a fabulous kisser, either way"

Doe shoved her lightly, " I always forget that you two were together"

" Not 'together'" she reminded her, " just a fling, and I was 13. Naive and all. Oh I better go, here comes Benjy Flitwick and I am not in the mood to discuss charms".

Amelia floated away, joining some of the other Hufflepuffs in attendance.

" I really like Amelia" Mary said.

" I do too," Doe agreed.

" Okay we need to get Marlene to bed" Lily said walking over to them.

Marlene was spinning around the room singing to herself, but several decibels louder than music.

Dirk was still watching her from the corner.

" Let's go" Doe said to Mary walking over to her.

" Guys!" Marlene squealed in excitement, " are you having fuuuunnnnnn?"

Lily and Doe each slid one of Marlene's arms around their shoulders and led her towards the girl's dormitories.

" I don't want to go to bed" she whined.

" I think you've had enough marauder for tonight" Doe said dragging her up the stairs and into their room. She fell asleep in her clothes on Lily's bed.

" That was certainly a party" Lily said.

" It sure was" Doe said to her.


	5. Ch 5 Hogsmeade

5

Hogsmeade

" Why did you let me drink so much?" Marlene grumbled the next morning clutching her head.

Her eyes were bloodshot and her long fingers knotted themselves in her hair.

" Let you?" Lily asked, " I practically begged you to stop"

Marlene grumbled in annoyance and pulled a pillow over her head.

"It was quite a party, huh?" Alice said from the corner. Doe remembered seeing Alice there the night before, talking to Frank Longbottom.

"Better for some than others" Mary said rolling out of bed.

Doe had told them all about Remus' invitation at the party and they were being very annoying about it.

" Let it go, Mary" she told her getting dressed.

" Doe's first date," Lily giggled, while Doe pulled on her boots.

" It's not a date" Doe said, even though silently she hoped it was.

" Oh please," Marlene said pulling a sweater over her golden head, " Remus wouldn't have wasted the time if it wasn't"

" But it's Remus. He's shy, he probably just wanted a study partner or something" Doe told her.

" You can be so inept Doe," Marlene said, " a boy who wants to study comes with you to the library, they don't ask you to Hogsmeade"

Doe pulled her sweater over her head and ran her hands through her hair.

Mary shook her head, " No this one. You look so good in blue" she said handing her a new sweater from her trunk.

" Thanks" Doe said taking off the sweater and switching it for the one Mary had handed her.

"I think I need some waffles," Lily said.

" I need sleep" Marlene complained pulling her hair into a ponytail, " and quieter roommates"

Marlene lagging behind them, as they all headed downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Most of the older students were exhausted from the previous night's events and ready to go on the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

Doe nibbled at the waffles on her plate. The Marauders entered the great hall to a small applaud from the Gryffindor table, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's table.

James, Sirius, and Peter sat down at their usual spots, but Remus walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to Doe.

" Hi, Doe" he said running his hand through his hair quickly. He looked nervous.

" Hi, Remus" Doe said. She felt the eyes of her friends watching them.

" So, I'm sorry for the rushed nature of my invitation last night." he said quickly, staring down the plate in front of him., " you don't have to go if you don't want too"

" No, I want to" Doe assured him.

" You do?" he asked.

" Yeah, it should be fun" She said picking up a strawberry with her fork.

Remus smiled and grabbed a waffle putting it on his plate.

" So I think we considered last night a success?" Sirius said taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

" The best one yet" James said smiling.

" It was a very interesting one" Peter said.

" Funny" Marlene said clutching her head, " I can't remember it all"

She wasn't her usual sunny self, instead she looked exhausted and a little sick. It was odd not to have Marlene being her usual bubbly self.

" That's what happens when you drink your weight in firewhiskey" Lily reminded her.

Marlene groaned loudly, " Please don't use the F world around me".

There was a collective chuckle from all of her friends. Mary placed a hand reassuringly on her back.

James laughed loudly, " Marlene did have quite a bit of fun"

" I remember my costume" Marlene said quietly, " And that's about it"

" Oh everyone remembers your costume, Marley" Sirius assured her. His grin was wide.

Marlene grinned and then clutched her head again, nursing her hangover.

They spent the rest of breakfast chatting about what had happened during the party, and filling Marlene in on the details she had been too drunk to remember.

When breakfast finished everyone got up and headed towards the entrance to the grounds.

McGonagall was at that entrance with a list of those who had permission to enter the village and was checking it against the people leaving.

" You ready?" Remus asked coming up behind Doe.

" Definitely," she said as McGonagall checked off both of their names from the list.

" So, " Remus said as they walked down the path towards Hogsmeade, " did you have fun last night?"

" It was definitely interesting" she said with a light laugh, " not sure it was for me, though"

Remus put his hands in the pockets of his coat, " I agree, they are more for the Sirius' of the world"

" Yeah" she agreed.

" Is there anywhere in particular, you want to go?" Remus asked her as the entered the village. They passed a group of third year girls anxiously pointing at the shops, and the Post Office.

" There's actually a small bookshop on the corner over there" Doe said pointing , " do you want to look around?"

Remus smiled widely, " That's music to my ears"

The shop was small, but it was crowded with shelves, displaying endless rows of leather bound books.

It smelled wonderful in there, and Doe felt right at home as they wandered through the tall shelves of books.

" Can I help you with anything?" the elder shopkeeper asked.

" A cot," Doe told him, " I think I'd like to live here".

Her remark was met by a chuckle from both Remus and the shopkeeper.

She wandered down one of the isles and stopped at a section that was completely devoted to defensive tactics, one cover stood out.

 _The Auror Guidebook: An all inclusive guide to auror training._

Doe picked it up off of the shelf and flipped through it quickly, reminding herself to ask her dad if it was good.

" Auror training?" Remus asked reading the cover, "is that what you want to be?"

She looked up at him, a small smile on her face " Yeah actually,".

He smiled, " I can see doing that"

" Really? Most people don't see it" Doe told him, " Generally aurors are bigger wizards".

He pouted slightly, " I think it's always the larger people that are the ones people think would be good aurors, but you're less suspecting, it might even make you more successful"

"Thanks," Doe said her mouth breaking out into a large smile. She placed the book back on the shelf.

" There is an amazing book on display back here" She said walking towards the back of the store, " it's something I think you'll like"

" Oh, really?" Remus asked. He looked curious, and Doe felt her stomach flip when she noticed the look on his face.

She nodded, "Trust me".

She led him to the back of the store where in a large display case was a signed copy of A History of Magic. Bathilda Bagshot's large curving signature was very visible through the glass.

" Wow," Remus said stroking the glass, " an original".

" I thought you might like to see that," she said.

" I did," Remus said happily, " I didn't think they had any of these outside of the ministry"

" I've stared at this probably a thousand times" she told him, " I always force Lily to come in here with me and look at it"

Remus looked down and then smiled back up at her, " I have an idea, do you mind leaving?"

Doe shook her head, "Nope".

She followed him out into the street and the two began walking deeper into the village. The girls from earlier were at the small wire fence staring at the shrieking shack.

" That's so terrifying!" one of them shouted pointing at the shack.

" It's haunted, obviously" the other snapped.

" I think there's a monster that lives there" the other said back.

" Well whatever it is, it's nasty. You can always hear creepy noises coming from there" the girl said shuddering violently.

Next to her, Remus looked horrified.

" You okay?" she asked.

Remus nodded quickly, " yeah it's just-" he stopped short and shook his head.

He took a deep breath, " It's nothing."

Doe didn't push it, whatever it was it wasn't her business.

He stopped in front of Honeydukes and opened the door, " after you".

She walked into the shop and was immediately welcomed by the warm smell of all the delicious treats. Honeydukes always smelled welcoming.

" I'll be right back" Remus said dashing to the back of the store.

While she waited for him, Doe looked around at the display closest to the door. It was a large display of chocolate frogs, advertising the addition of Dumbledore's card.

Somewhere, underneath her bed in London probably, she had a large collection of chocolate frog cards that she had gathered when she was little. She wanted to give them to Mary's little sisters at one point but she always forgot. She made a mental note to write to her father to send them.

" Okay, all done" Remus said popping up behind her with a Honeydukes bag in hand.

" Had a candy craving, did you?" she asked him.

Remus smiled, " You could say that."

He led her to the door and they both walked out back into the street. He led her over to a bench and sat down. She took the spot next to him.

Remus pulled out a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

" Okay so" he said opening the box, " we pick one out and try to figure out what the flavor is before we taste it, ok?

Doe reached into the box and held up a white bean, " Marshmallow or Toothpaste" she asked handing it to him.

He put it in his mouth and after a moment, he grinned, " Marshmallow".

He reached in and picked a light amber one, " Toffee or Earwax"

Doe frowned and took it from him, " I really hope it's toffee" she said before she placed it in her mouth. It melted on her tongue and left the flavor there.

" Toffee" she said happily, as Remus grinned at her wider.

He plunged into the box and grabbed a reddish brown one and eyes it apprehensively, " It's got to be Cinnamon or Earthworm" he said sniffing it before plopping it into his mouth.

Doe watched as his face contorted,

"Ugh, Merlin. It's Earthworm" he said coughing slightly.

They spent the rest of the day walking around and talking, finishing off the afternoon with butterbeers at the three broomsticks. Everything seemed to be going very well. The walk back to the castle from Hogsmeade seemed even shorter.

" I still can't believe that you've actually met the inventor of the Polyjuice potion" Remus said in disbelief as they walked down the corridor of the castle.

" It was completely by accident, fate almost" Doe said.

" It's still so amazing" he said as they approached the portrait hole to the common room.

" I had a lot of fun today" he said.

" I did too" Doe told him.

They smiled at each other quickly.

" Are you going to come in or not, I don't have all day" The Fat Lady said shrilly.

" Oh right of course, 'prancing pixies'" Remus told her.

The painting swung open and the portrait hole was revealed. Remus and Doe both climbed through.

" So, I'll see you at dinner?" Remus asked.

" Yeah, sure" Doe told him.

He smiled at her and then jogged upstairs to the boys dormitories. Doe walked back to the girl's dormitories and opened the door to her room.

Marlene, Mary, and Lily were sitting on Marlene's bed with a plate of pumpkin pasties in front of them.

" Hey, Doe " Lily said when she walked in, " how was it?"

Doe pulled off her boots and curled up on the bed next to her friends " Good. I think".

She told them every detail of the day in Hogsmeade. They waited until she was completely done before they spoke.

" He didn't kiss you?" Marlene asked in disbelief,

Doe grabbed one of the pillows next to Mary and hugged it, shaking her head.

" But that doesn't mean anything" Lily assured her, " Remus is shy, we know that"

" Yeah, maybe" Doe said grabbing one of the Pumpkin pasties off the plate.

It had been a week since Doe and Remus had gone to Hogsmeade and Remus had been very cordial since then, but it made her very ancy. Up until the end of the visit at Hogsmeade, she had been sure it was a date, but now she was just confused. Maybe it had just been a friendly visit. She felt stupid for having thought otherwise, and so she hadn't been speaking to him much.

On Tuesday, Doe met Remus for their usual prefect patrol of the fourth floor.

" How was your day today?" Remus asked her when they started walking.

" It was good" Doe told him, " what about yours?"

Remus nodded, " good".

They walked in silence for about a minute, and Doe was about to say something to stop the silence when Remus did first.

Remus stopped, " Actually, Doe. Can I talk to you about something?"

He was looking at her with a strange expression, and Doe was worried about what this could be about.

Doe stopped so that she was standing in front of him, " Sure, whats up?".

Remus looked down at the floor, " So I don't know if I've messed this up already, or didn't make myself clear enough, and I don't really know what to say or how to say this-"

" Remus, it's okay" Doe told him, " Whatever it is,"

Remus frowned and took a deep breath.

" Doe, I like you" he said quietly.

Doe blinked quickly in surprise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

" You like me?" she repeated.

Remus shook his head, " I shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry. Let's forget it."

He started to walk away, but she grabbed his arm stopping him.

" Remus, I don't want to forget it" she told him.

He looked at her strangely, furrowing his eyebrows together in confusion.

She took a breath, " I like you, too" she told him.

" You, what?" he said blinking quickly.

" I like you too," Doe said quietly, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

She looked back up at Remus. And the two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment.

Neither of them were sure what to do or what to say to one another. Remus took a deep breath and took a step closer to her.

It happened quickly. Remus slowly moved closer to her and pressed his lips against hers.

They were both nervous, but Remus' lips were soft against hers. Doe's an entire body felt like it was going to explode from the excitement of all of it. She rested her hand on his arm as he pressed his lips against hers more firmly.

Remus smelled warm, like the worn cover of a leather bound book, and it was an oddly comforting smell to her.

" Uh oh, that's not patrolling I see" a drawling voice called into the hallway.

Doe and Remus broke apart instantly, both pink faced.

Argus Filch, the ancient caretaker, was standing in front of them with his awful kitten Mrs. Norris.

Both Doe and Remus exchanged a quick look. If there had been anyone they wouldn't have wanted to catch them kissing in the hallway, it was Filch.

" Now, tsk tsk what are we going to do about this rule breaking?" Filch asked aloud, pacing in delight in front of the two prefects.

Doe bit her lip in frustration. Of all the people who could have walked around that corner.

" Look, Mr. Filch. We're sorry. It won't happen again" Remus said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation.

" You were supposed to be patrolling" Filch snapped back at him, " and I won't tolerate any rule-breaking!"

At that moment McGonagall walked around the corner and stopped at the scene enfolding in front of her.

Doe groaned quietly. This situation was getting more and more embarrassing. Beside her, Remus was slightly pink.

" Filch what is going on here?" she demanded, " I doubt seriously that Ms. Meadowes or Mr. Lupin have broken any school rules"

" Well no" Filch said quietly, " not a school rule"

" Well then I daresay you let them head back to their common rooms then" Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Remus and Doe caught each other's glances and then walked away from Filch and McGonagall, thrilled with their luck.

When they were far enough away, they looked at each other eye's wide.

" I thought for sure we'd be stuck in detention" Doe said clutching at her chest.

" I know" Remus said in disbelief, " when I heard Filch's voice.."

They looked at each other again and smiled.

As they approached the Fat Lady, Remus said " Prancing Pixies" and they both crawled into the Common Room.

" So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Remus asked her hopefully.

Doe felt as though he was asking her a bit more than if he would see her in classes.

" Of course" Doe replied, watching Remus smile widely.

They both bade each other goodnight and then disappeared into their dormitories to fill in their roommates on their evenings.


	6. Ch 6 Autumn Whims

6

Autumn Whims

"You're not focusing" Severus said as he added the unicorn eyelashes to the potion.

" Sorry," Doe said running her hand through her hair quickly and rereading the last line of the directions.

" Why do you keep looking over there?" Severus asked handing her the bottle of crushed beetles.

" Looking where?" she asked crushing the beetles into the potion.

" Over at the table with Lupin and Rosier" Severus said stirring the potion.

" What, I wasn't" she said pouring the dragon tears into the cauldron.

Severus looked at her with her eyebrow raised.

She rolled her eyes at him, " Just stir the potion again".

Truthfully, she had been looking over at the table. She and Remus had been looking over at each other the entire class. She had thought they were being coy, but apparently Severus had been more observant than she had thought.

" I think it may be done" Severus said leaning towards the potion.

" How do you know if it?" Doe asked rereading the instructions.

" You have to smell it" Severus said not taking his eyes off of the cauldron.

" Oh" Doe said.

She leaned forward and held her face over the steam pouring out of the cauldron. It didn't smell like love. She wasn't sure what she expected it to smell like, something fluffy. She had always assumed that any potion that allowed you to smell love would smell sickly sweet, like candy or unicorns.

Instead it had a warmer more rich smell to it. It smelled like books, and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

Doe slid back in her chair coughing when she realized who wore the familiar scent.

Her eyes landed on Remus from across the room. He was stirring his potion, but when he looked up and saw her, he smiled at her too.

" I think it works" Doe told him.

Severus leaned towards it and smelt the potion. As soon as he did, he began coughing and slid away from it, " I agree. I'll fetch Slughorn"

Severus got up and went over to Slughorn, bringing him back to our table.

Slughorn looked apprehensive of the two of them as he walked over to their table.

" So you think you two have done it?" Slughorn asked, " Correctly mastered Amortentia?"

He leaned over the brewing potion and took a deep break. His eyes were closed but a smile was plastered on his face.

" By god I think you've done it" Slughorn said continuing to breathe in the fumes, " You two have managed to brew Amortentia"

The smell was permeating and drifting back towards Doe. She took a step back, not wanting to be distracted by the intoxicating smell.

" 10 points to both your houses!" Slughorn said happily.

Severus didn't even look phased. He had expected the points.

" Seeing as you've all been working so hard. Clean up your things and you can head out early." Slughorn said and walked back over to his desk.

Doe helped Severus bottle a portion of their potion and vanish the rest.

" I'll do some research for this essay later, okay?" Doe told him.

He nodded and waved her away with his hand. Doe was used to Severus' forms of communication by now.

She had to jog to catch up with the group of Gryffindors that were leaving the dungeons.

" Hey, there you are" Remus said when she caught up with him.

" Hi," she said. Their hands brushed against each other and she felt Remus take hers in his.

" Awwww look at them" Marlene walking next to us, " the love birds"

Doe was sure all of the color had risen to her cheeks. She looked to see Remus blushing just as equally. She smiled at him, and returned it.

" Kiss her, kiss her" Mary teased mockingly.

" I apologize on the behalf of my friends" Doe whispered to Remus.

He grinned, " No need to apologize" he said and kissed the top of her head.

" And an obedient boy no less" Mary said approvingly.

"Come on guys, leave them alone" Lily said crawling through the portrait hole. Remus and Doe followed in after her and sat down on the couch. The other marauders were seated in the chairs around the couch.

" Oh look it's Moony and Doe" James said with a sly smile.

" Oh yes," Sirius said, " Such good friends they are, aren't they Prongs?"

James smiled, " Very good friends" he agreed.

" Alright, enough" Remus said staring at his friends.

"Please, let it go" Doe told them.

It was weird for Doe how well all of this seemed to go.

" I've got to say, I'm quite surprised about this new union among us" Sirius said leaning against the chair and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

" It's shocking isn't it?" James said to him.

Doe and Remus exchanged a look between each other.

There was a tapping at the window near the end of the common room. Doe's father's owl Edipus was attempting to get into the locked window.

Doe got up and walked over to the window to let him in. Edipus snapped at her fingers in greeting. Her father had had Edipus before Doe was even born. She stroked his feathers lightly before pulling the letter off of his leg.

Doe opened the letter carefully, sliding it open.

Dearest Doe,

I am writing to you to let you know that this year our family has been invited to the Ministry Christmas Eve Party, so your mother and I would like you to come home for the winter holiday this year. I miss you very much and cannot wait to see you.

See you soon,

Dad

Doe reread the letter twice to make sure she had read it right. The Ministry of Magic had an annual Christmas Eve party every year, and usually they skipped it. This year however, he wanted them to go. She grabbed an abandoned quill off of the table closest to her and scribbled a quick 'ok' to her father. She tied the letter onto Edipus' leg and stroked him once again. She watched as he took off into the sky again.

" Everything alright?" Lily asked when she made her way back over and sat down again.

She nodded quickly, " Just my family formalizing plans for Christmas"

" Are you going home then?" Remus asked.

" It's my year to go home, and my dad has a party he wants me to go to with him" She told him, "are you going home?"

Remus nodded, " I promised my mum"

Sirius shook his head in disbelief, " I under what it's like to have parents who _want_ you home?"

Lily frowned, " Well I wish I didn't have to have to go home. Petunia is going to be there and probably bring her awful boyfriend"

" So stay here with me, Evans" James said with a grin.

Lily scowled, " I'd rather have Christmas with a toad"

" Now, now, play nice" Marlene warned shooting an angry glance at Lily.

Marlene hated when James and Lily rowed because it usually ended any gathering between the eight of them.

Across the room, Gideon and Fabian Prewett were enchanting some of the lamps to follow around the first years, doing impressive impersonations of Professor McGonagall. It was pretty entertaining, and they had gathered quite an audience.

" So you know I've heard a bit more about this You Know Who bloke" Sirius started.

Doe's attention instantly snapped back towards him.

" They say he's growing more powerful and that he's trying to rid the wizarding world of all muggleborns" Sirius added.

" An entire group of wizards? Thats ridiculous!" Peter said nervously.

" He's like a modern Hitler" Lily said quietly biting her lip.

" Who?" Sirius asked.

" Nevermind. He's a muggle" Lily said shaking her head.

" He claims," Sirius said whispering a bit, " that muggle borns stole their magic from the 'real' wizards"

" That's completely untrue" Doe said in disbelief.

" But he's convinced a lot of people" James said, " whether or not it's right it's becoming a movement"

His expression changed and he looked worried for a moment. His gaze turned to Lily instantly, and Doe wondered whether he had even realized he did it.

" He'll be stopped" Marlene said quickly, " he has too"

" I hope he does" Remus added.

" Before he gets any stronger" Peter said biting his nail nervously.

Remus got up from the couch he was sitting at, "I think I'm going to go the library" he said quickly. He caught Doe's eyes and gave her a small smile.

Doe waited until he left through the portrait hole, and then got up to follow him. Everyone else was so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice her get up and leave.

She slipped through the portrait hole and headed towards the empty corridor. As soon as she rounded the corner, she found Remus waiting for her.

He grinned when he saw her heading towards him.

" There you are" Remus said, his smile taking up his entire face.

Doe grinned at him, " Sorry, I was trying to be coy" she told him.

Remus and Doe had soon realized after that first kiss that they were much too shy and introverted people to publicly display affection. And since they both spent so much time in their crowded dormitories with their friends that they had to sneak around to have any time alone.

Doe moved closer to him and wrapped her arms lightly around his neck. Remus moved his hands to her hips and kissed her.

With no one watching them and a little privacy they were able to be all over eachother a little.

" You know" Remus said when they broke apart, " I could get used to this whole kissing thing"

" Is that so?" Doe asked biting her lip.

Remus grinned and pulled her back to her wards him, kissing her enthusiastically again.

As November began to speed by, the first quidditch game of the year grew nearer and nearer. The excitement was evident all over the castle. The first game was Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. It was the first year in a few that Ravenclaw had had a very strong team so tension was building. The Gryffindor team spent almost every night on the field. James and Sirius always came in late, covered in dirt and exhausted.

The entirety of Gryffindor was a bundle of nerves by the morning of the first game. Everyone sat in the great hall eating breakfast, and gossiping loudly about the game.

Up and down the table, all of the house was decked in scarlet. and gold, many of them carrying large ornately drawn signs.

Mary and Doe had spent the night before decorated one of their old bed sheets to picture a lion chanting 'GO GRYFFINDOR' periodically.

" You're going to be fine, don't worry" Mary said showing it to James.

He and Sirius were wolfing down their breakfast and discussing the game intently. They had been strategizing since they sat down.

Sirius and James had both made the house team first year. Sirius was a beater, and James was a seeker. They were very talented players and had won countless games for Gryffindor in the last five years they had been on the team.

Even Lily couldn't find any insults to burden them with today.

" Of course we're going to win!," Landon said from further down the table, " because I am the captain this year"

" Deflate your ego, Landon" Marlene hissed, " I don't want to lose the House Cup over your arrogance."

Landon flicked a piece of breakfast sausage at her. Doe ducked as it went spinning past Marlene's golden head.

" The first game of the year is always so exciting" Doe said happily.

Though she wasn't much on a broom, Doe had always had a deep appreciation for the sport. She dragged Lily and Marlene to countless matches over the summer.

" For you, since you love quidditch" Lily said, " it's too hard to follow for me"

" But Lily it's such a great game" she said, " honestly"

Doe had spent most of her first five years at Hogwarts going to every game and cheering loudly, while Lily would only attend the really exciting ones and sometimes she would a bring a book.

" It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat" Remus told her.

Lily shrugged, still slightly uninterested.

After everyone finished breakfast, they all headed down to the quidditch pitch. It was a brisk fall day and everyone had brought jackets and scarves and were excitedly climbing the steps onto the pitch,

The team had left earlier and were already preparing for the Match. Doe took a seat on the bleachers with Remus on one side and Marlene on the other. Mary and Lily sat behind them with Peter.

" You're practically bouncing in your seat" Remus observed, a sly smile on his lips.

" I've just really been looking forward to this," she told him.

" I can tell" he said, and he grabbed her hand giving it a good squeeze.

She looked over to the teacher's stand where Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were chatting happily. They always went to the matches. Professor McGonagall because she often told the house she liked having the House Cup in her office, and Doe suspected Professor Dumbledore also supported Gryffindor.

Mafalda Hopkirk was also there, she was a fifth year Ravenclaw who always announced the Quidditch games.

Drums began beating from below signaling the beginning of the game. From both sides, scarlet and violet players began flying into the arena, met by cheers from both sides.

" AND IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH THE GRYFFINDOR AND RAVENCLAW PLAYERS ARE ON THE FIELD" Mafalda announced happily.

Madam Henswool was on the ground with the trunk of balls. She opened it and quickly let all four fly into the air.

" The quaffle has been released and the game begins!" Mafalda called into the mic and began narrating the game.

" LOOKS LIKE GRYFFINDOR IS IN CONTROL OF THE QUAFFLE, MCKINNON FLYING PAST THE GOALS AIMING AND...STOPPED BY RAVENCLAW KEEPER MCDORM- QUAFFLE NOW IN HANDS OF GRYFFINDOR CHASER OTTO BAGMAN, PASSED TO BROTHER LUDO BAGMAN AND SCORE- 10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!"  
The crowd of Gryffindors cheered loudly.

" NOW THE QUAFFLE HAS BEEN PASSED TO RAVENCLAW CHASER ROWENA MARX- AND SCORE 10 POINTS TO RAVENCLAW- QUAFFLE BACK TO MARX AND NO STOPPED BY A BLUDGER SENT BY GRYFFINDOR BEATER SIRIUS BLACK."

Doe watched as Sirius wielded the beater's bat again, this time knocking one of the Ravenclaw chasers away from the goals.

" AND LOOKS LIKE YES GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN" Mafalda stated. One of the Gryffindor chasers had scored again.

The game continued on for another half hour. Both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were likely matches, and were very close in score. Gryffindor at 60 points and Ravenclaw at 70.

" NOW LOOKS LIKE - YES CHASER MARX HAS SCORED AGAIN PUTTING RAVENCLAW AT 80 POINTS- BUT LOOKS LIKE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER JAMES POTTER HAS SPOTTED SOMETHING- PERHAPS IT'S JUST A SHINY SURFACE TO LOOK AT HIS OWN REFLECTION- SORRY MCGONAGALL I MEAN POTTER HAS SPOTTED SOMETHING AND YES POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH. 150 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR. GRYFFINDOR WINS"

The crowd of Gryffindors erupted into loud cheers. Doe pulled a tearful Marlene into a quick hug and turned to Remus.

" We won!" she said happily as he pulled her into a hug.

" James and Sirius will be very happy. I'm sure there is a party awaiting us in the common room" Remus said with a smile.

" Well you know how I love parties" she said sarcastically, taking his hand as they followed the others out of the stands.

They headed back up to the castle and into the common room. It had been decorated lavishly with Gryffindor tapestries and the posters that the other Gryffindors had made.

A party was indeed in full swing. The team had filled the common room with food and loud cheers of " FLY HIGH GRYFFINDOR" and " SCARLET AND PROUD" could be heard all around the room.

They all sat around the fire, snacking on pumpkin pasties and listening to the team retell every detail of the game and the faces of the Ravenclaw's who had lost.

James and Sirius had begun telling the tale with such excitement that they needed props.

It was a few hours later when Remus disappeared and returned with a worried glance.

" Doe, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

" Of course" she said getting up from the couch and following him to a more private corner of the room, separated from the celebration, " what's wrong?"

" My mom's fallen ill, I think I need to go home." he said quickly.

" Is she alright?" she asked.

Doe wasn't close to her own mom, but Remus wore an expression of pure fear and discomfort.

" Dunno, but I just wanted to let you know. I'll see you soon, okay?" He said.

She nodded, " Of course. Go." she told him.

He pulled her into a quick hug and left through the portrait hole.

" Where's Remus?" Lily asked when she returned alone.

" He had to go, his mum was sick" she told her.

Lily frowned, " Poor Remus. Is she alright?"

" She gets sick quite often" James interjected, " She's usually okay. Remus just likes to be there for her"

" Yeah, he always goes" Sirius added quickly.

He and James exchanged a quick look between the two of them.

" Thats sweet" Mary said.

" It is" Doe agreed, sitting back down at the table.

The more she thought about it, the sweeter it is. Remus was concerned about his mother's health. It was nice to meet someone who cared so much about their family.

She fell asleep that night thinking how lucky she was that she was interested in someone like that.


	7. Ch 7 The Winter Holidays

7

The Winter Holidays

The holidays were approaching quickly and all across the castle, students were discussing their holiday plans both in the castle and at home. It seemed most people were going home for the holiday, but a few were staying Hogwarts.

They had one final Hogsmeade visit before vacation and most of the students were using it as a last minute chance to shop.

Doe had dragged Remus with her so that he could help finish picking out gifts. She had expected him to put up more of a fight, but he actually seemed pleased to be able to help her.

The air outside was freezing and all of Hogsmeade was covered in a blanket of snow. Tiny flurries were coming down quickly and Doe had to brush them off her coat.

She and Remus hurried down the path clutching at their coats for warmth and dove into the nearest apothecary.

" It's bitter out there" She said taking off her gloves. Her cheeks were pink from the wind and she had to shake the snowflakes out of her hair.

Remus shook the snow out of his hair too, " Absolutely frigid" he agreed.

Doe poked around the store looking at some of the new things on display. Remus followed behind her and gave her input when she asked.

" What about these for Marlene?" Remus asked holding up a set of new quills.

Doe giggled, " Quills for Marlene? That's like giving Sirius a book".

Remus smiled, "Good point" and put down the quills.

After about an hour, Doe ended up finding a new set of potion scales for Lily, a set of Witch Weekly's Hair potions for Marlene, and a new planner for Mary. She purchased them all and followed Remus back out into the cold.

They shopped for a little while longer and she found almost all of the gifts she needed.

A new Quill for her father, a trick wand for James, miniature broomstick for Sirius, and large box of Chocolate Cauldrons for Peter.

" Here," she said handing Remus a chocolate frog she had just purchased.

After spending a month with him, Doe had realized Remus had an insatiable love for chocolate.

" You are one truly amazing girl, Doe Meadowes" he said gratefully putting it in his mouth.

" Now come on, " he said grabbing her hand, "let's go get something warm before we freeze"

Doe followed him into the three broomsticks. It was warm in there, and very crowded. The weather outside seemed to have enticed everyone to want to stay in doors, and the Three Broomsticks was crowded even on a regular day.

" Can we get two warm butterbeers here please" Remus said to the waitress as they sat down at a little table in the back. It was one of the only ones left in the entire pub.

" You look very nice when you're freezing" Remus said with a laugh when the waitress left.

Doe covered her pink cheeks with her hands

" My suffering is visually pleasing, is it?" She asked smiling.

Remus through his head back in laughter, " I guess so"

The waitress came back with their butterbeers and placed them on the table. They were warm and very delicious.

Doe took a huge sip and it seemed to instantly make her feel warmer.

" So tell me why again, that you have to go off alone after this?" Remus asked her.

" Because," she told him, " I have to get your present".

He frowned, " I don't need anything. I'd rather just spend time with you"

A huge smile formed on Doe's face.

" But I really want too, It won't take long I promise. We can hang out in the common room" she told him.

They finished their butterbeers and left a few sickles on the table. The wind was blowing even harsher, and the chill was becoming really uncomfortable.

" So I'll see you in a little bit, okay?" Doe told him.

He bent down and kissed her quickly as an answer. She smiled widely.

" I think I'm going to go find James, Sirius, and Peter" he said looking around the village on his tiptoes.

She waved goodbye and headed down the sloping path back towards the stores.

" There you are, Meadowes" Marlene said from a bench. She was sitting with Mary and Lily who were trading scarves.

" Did you have fun with Remus?" Lily asked, smiling suggestively.

" Yes, I did. Now I just have to find him a present" she said nervously.

They went into several stores looking for the perfect present for Remus. Doe considered a red wool scarf and an eagle quill. Nothing seemed quite right. They went into the bookstore and looked around.

" Thats perfect," she said walking over to a display near the front. It was advertising Bathilda Bagshot's new book, an all inclusive autobiography of her times at Hogwarts.

" a book?" Marlene asked in disbelief, " you can't be serious".

" Remus loves books" Doe said defensively, clutching it closer to her, " and it's by his favorite author"

" But it's a book" Marlene repeated raising her eyebrows.

" Doe and Remus like books, Marley" Mary told her with a laugh.

" You two are so weird" Marlene said rolling her eyes.

Yes we are, Doe thought as she purchased the book.

Remus' mother had gotten sick the night before holiday vacation, so he left early and they exchanged gifts before he left. They had gotten each other the same book.

Remus had chuckled when they opened them.

" Great minds think alike?" he asked with a laugh.

" Apparently so" she said as they both pocketed their present and said goodbye.

The next day, the Hogwarts Express took Lily, Mary, Doe and the rest of the students to Kings Cross the next day.

Doe was extremely excited to see her father waiting for her on the Platform. She had missed him even more than she realized.

" Dad" she said throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug.

" Doe darling, I couldn't be happier to see you" he said.

" Hello Lily, Mary. How are you girls?" he asked seeing them.

" We're great Mr. Meadowes, how are you?" Lily asked.

" Better now that Doe's home" he said smiling.

Doe grinned happily. She was glad to she had been missed.

" Are your parents here? Do any of you need lifts?" He asked.

Both Lily and Mary shook their heads so Doe wished them a happy holiday and headed to the end of the platform.

" Side apparition okay?" her father asked.

Doe bit her lip in hesitation, "Fine".

Her father laughed at her distaste for the most convenient way of wizard travel.

He grabbed her hand and they apparatted. She felt the familiar pull behind her navel as she landed on the floor of their living room. They lived in a three story townhouse on Grimmauld Place, across the street from Sirius.

Doe had always thought it weird that Sirius' bigoted, magic obsessed family lived in a neighborhood surrounded by muggles.

Doe got to her feet and tried to shake the nauseous feeling she got when she apparatted.

Their living room looked exactly the same. Her mother was sitting in one of the large armchairs, knitting something.

" Oh, You're home. Hello Dorcas" Her mom greeted me with a smile.

Doe shuddered slightly at the casual use of her given name.

Even though the nickname Doe had existed since she was three, her mother refused to address her as anything other than Dorcas.

She smiled. " Nice to see you mom"

Doe and her mother had always had a strange relationship. Her mother disapproved of the wizarding world, and it was such a large part of Doe's life that the two rarely had much in common. It was a wonder how she and Doe's father were able to find anything to talk about.

" I'm going to bring my stuff upstairs" She told her parents and carried her bag up the stairs.

Her bedroom was on third landing. It was the only room up there that they used. There were also two guests rooms up there but they sat empty and unused.

Her parents bedroom and her father's office were both on the second floor.

She opened the door to her room and smiled at the comfort. Her room was simple.

There was a bed leaning against the windows with a quilt draped over it. There was a desk that was littered with old copies of the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. There were also two towering bookcases stuffed to the brim with books, along with two stacks next to them.

The walls were filled with various quidditch posters and pictures, along with a union jack flag and a Gryffindor tapestry above the bed.

Doe sat her bag down on her bed and looked out the window. The street was empty with snow piling at it's sides. A few muggle children were running up and down the street with bikes.

" Dorcas!" Her mother called from downstairs.

She left her room and hung over the railing, " Yes?"

" Come down for dinner" She called.

Doe walked down the stairs and the was immediately met by the smell of the pasta her mother had made.

Her father was already sitting at the table, a copy of the Prophet open in front of him. He kept flipping through it, a look of concentration on his face.

" Anything interesting?" Doe asked.

Her father didn't look up, " goblin angry here, some usage of magic in front of muggles there" he said.

Doe laughed lightly. Her father always made her laugh.

Doe's mother came into the room carrying a bowl of pasta and put it in the middle of the table.

" Dorcas that better not be your wand on the table," she said warningly.

Doe grabbed her wand off the table and put it in her boot, thinking to herself that other people didn't have that particular rule in their household.

" So how has your term been so far?" Her father asked.

" Really good, we won the first quidditch match last month. We beat Ravenclaw " She told him with a sly smile.

" Hmmm. Well, we Ravenclaws are not known for our athleticism" he said.

" And what about your classes?" He asked, " anything interesting?"

" Were doing a partner project in potions for O.W.L.s and were learning about summoning charms in Charms"

" Summoning charms, damn handy charm to know" My father said, " who's your partner for the potions project?" he asked.

" Severus Snape. He's a Slytherin" she said quickly.

" Please enough Magic talk" her mother said quickly, " How are your friends?"

" Good," she told her quickly.

She then turned red wondering whether or not she should mention Remus.

It wasn't something she really wanted to discuss with her parents but she also didn't want to lie to them.

" I've actually starting seeing someone" she said quietly, staring directly at her plate.

" Really? Have you?" her father asked.

She nodded, " Remus Lupin. He's in Gryffindor with me"

Her father nodded, " I remember the name"

" I would love to meet him" Her mother said with a smile.

Doe nodded, wondering if there was a way to avoid that for as long as possible.

The three of them finished dinner and Doe's parents went to sit down in the living room.

Her father sat down in his favorite armchair in the corner. Doe curled up in the adjoining one.

" Actually, Dad. There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while now" she told him.

" What is it, Doe. Is there something wrong?" he asked.

" Well," she started, " I was just wondering how big of a problem this You-Know-Who is?"

Her father's face fell, " His name is Voldemort and unfortunately he is becoming a big problem"

Doe's father always made it a point to never lie to her. His very candid answer didn't come as a surprise.

" I thought the ministry was handling it, trying to stop him" Doe said.

" We are," her father said earnestly, " but he's gotten very strong. Gained a lot of followers, call themselves Death Eaters. It's becoming a lot of work for the aurors"

" The aurors?" she asked quickly.

Her father smiled at her excitement, " still want to be an auror I see"

Doe nodded, " It's not going to change"

He laughed, " You couldn't have wanted to be a healer? You have to be on the front lines, all five foot three of you"

" Like Father, Like Daughter" She told him, " We Meadowes like a bit of excitement in our lives"

Doe spent the next few days alone in her room. It was strange for her to be home in the middle of year. Her dad worked most of the day and her mother liked to keep busy with activities, which left Doe on her own. It was times like these she wished that she had a sibling. Someone that she could spend time with when she came home for the holidays. She had always envied Marlene's large family for this reason.

Soon it was Christmas Eve, and the night of the large Ministry of Magic of Holiday party. Doe had been to a few of them before. It was just the families of employees who were invited. When she was younger, she spent most of them playing with the other kids. It was still strange to her that she was old enough now to go as a guest.

Her mother had left a dress in her room for her to wear. It was long sleeved and blue, and it flared just above her knees. It was one of her favorites and she wore it any time she needed to dress fancy.

As she put on her heels, she could hear the fight beginning downstairs.

"... Anne please don't do this, this is a work party I NEED you to go" she heard her father said loudly.

" Oh you need me to go, do you?" her mother's harsh voice filled the downstairs, " What about what I need? I hate that place Auberon, I don't want to be surrounded by them"

" Them!?" her dad shouted, " Come on Anne ,It's my work it's my life"

" Bring Dorcas, just take her and go. I'll be here when you get back" Her mother snapped.

She heard her father's loud sigh and the silence that followed. She remained in her room, wondering if these arguments had happened more frequently while she was away.

" Doe, come down please. We don't want to be late" her father shouted upstairs. She walked downstairs quickly and saw her father in a black suit.

" You look lovely, Doe" he said as she came down the stairs.

" Thanks Dad" she said smiling slightly.

He still looked slightly phased from his fight with her mother. She didn't say anything about it.

" Well, we better be off, we'll be taking the visitors entrance tonight. We can take a cab down to london" He said reaching for the front door.

Her mother sat planted in her armchair, dressed in her nightclothes. Her hair a large mass of it's usual, unruly curls.

Doe followed her dad out of the house and into the waiting cab. It drove them in silence through the gray cement streets of downtown London and stopped on a large corner.

" Thank you very much" Her father told the driver, handing him a few crisp bills.

Doe followed him down the empty street and towards an abandoned telephone box. Both of them stepped inside, but it crowded with two people.

" This was much easier when I was five" Doe told him as they selected the visitors entrance to the ministry.

The phone booth lowered itself down quickly into the ministry's main floor.

The entire ground floor of the ministry had been transformed. Snowy garland was hung from every surface and ornaments decorated them all.

Huge, beautifully decorate trees were in every corner, towering over large piles of presents.

Giant crystal snowflakes had been bewitched to float off of the ceiling, and the fountain was frozen spewing small pieces of snow everywhere.

" Wow," Doe said staring up in the room in amazement.

She held onto her father's arm as they walked through a large group of people and headed to a more populated corner.

Most of the people that her father worked with were here, and they had all brought their families.

Amelia was standing with her parents and older brother, she waved at Doe happily when she saw her. Mafalda Hopkirk and Caradoc Dearborn were also there, clustered around their families.

Doe's father was chatting with two men from his office, engaged in a conversation about their newest department policy

" I'm going to go get a drink, okay?" Doe told him after being there a few minutes. He smiled and continued chatting with a few of his friends.

Doe walked over to the drink table and served herself a glass of cider.

She grabbed her drink and hung back watching the crowd of wizards absorbed in conversation.

The group closest to her were talking loudly together. It was a gaggle of emerald. The entire group was obviously Slytherin alumni.

" Watching animals in their natural habitat can be quite interesting, huh?" A voice said behind her.

She spun around and saw a man standing behind her. He was in his late thirties with shoulder length blonde hair and a tall build. Part of his nose looked as though someone had tried to take a chunk out of it. He had a gruff voice and an uncomfortable presence.

" Fascinating," She agreed taking a sip from her drink, " You would think that Slytherins from Hogwarts grew out of it when they get older"

The man beside her let out a small chuckle, but even that sounded slightly angry.

" Alastor Moody," he said holding out his hand.

She had to stop herself from letting her jaw drop, " Alastor Moody as in the head auror?" she asked.

Moody's eyebrow raised.

" I'm Doe Meadowes, and I'd love to be an auror" She said extending my hand to shake his.

" Meadowes, eh?" Mr. Moody said, " you're Auberon's daughter?"

She nodded quickly, " the very same".

" And you're at Hogwarts now?" he asked, " what's your house?"

" I'm a fifth year Gryffindor" She told him.

" Ah, a Gryffindor I should've guessed" Mr. Moody said, " and you want to be an auror?"

Doe nodded excitedly.

"It's a hard profession you know" Moody told her, he didn't seem to be telling her, he was gauging her reaction.

"That makes me like it even more" she told him, "the things that are easy aren't usually worth it"

Moody blinked at her, "And you're sure someone like you can handle the things you'd see?"

"I'm built for it" Doe told him, "it's what I'm supposed to do"

Moody chuckled darkly, "Well in that case, I look forward to seeing your application, Ms. Meadowes" he said and with another gulp of his firewhiskey, he was gone.

Doe was practically shaking inside, she had just met the head of the auror department. Moody was someone she had wanted to meet for years.

" Thank god," Rabastan Lestrange said walking over to her moments later, " I thought he'd never leave"

Doe rolled her eyes. Rabastan's father worked closely with the minister, of course he would be here.

" Leave me alone" she said crossing her arms angrily.

She hated Rabastan and didn't need him ruining Christmas too.

Rabastan knew how to get under her skin. His constant bothering drove her insane.

" Oh, Come on, Doe. You look ravishing, how about we go find a quiet place and I can tell you all about it" he said stroking her arm.

Doe pulled away from him, " You're revolting".

Rabastan grinned widely, it bothered her that despite the fact he was a pig, he was handsome.

He moved closer to her, " Aw come on Meadowes, I know you want me"

Doe, who had been taking a sip of cider at the time, almost choked on it.

" Oh you're right" Doe said with a sly smile, " I want you, _dead_ "

Rabastan only grinned, " Oh come on Doe, you and me in the broom closet"

Doe rolled her eyes, " Go away, Rabastan"

" Doe, I just had a wonderful conversation with Alastor Moody about you" Her father said as he came over to them.

" Hello, Mr. Meadowes, nice to see you again" Rabastan said cheerfully, turning on his charm as he shook her father's hand.

Doe scowled as he tried to impress the man whose daughter he had just propositioned.

" Ah, yes Rabastan how are you and your brother?" Her father asked, slight distaste in his voice.

Doe knew her father did not like the Lestranges. He worked with their father, and like herself, he was of the opinion that they were pompous and dark.

" We're great. Thank you for asking. I was just discussing this party with your lovely daughter here" Rabastan said with a smile.

Doe couldn't help rolling her eyes. He was so thick.

Her father forced a smile, "Well lovely she is, Doe actually I was thinking we might head home. See your mum"

Doe nodded eagerly and took a step away from Rabastan, smiling happily.

Her father led her away from them and towards the exit,

They left the ministry and headed home to spend the holiday as a family.

The rest of the holiday's past by very quickly. Doe's parents were barely speaking and it made for a quiet break alone. And before she knew it, she was back at Hogwart's telling Lily, Marlene, and Mary all about it in a morning Herbology lesson.

" ….Now make sure you clip off ALL of the flowers, they can be ugly little devils" Professor Sprout said loudly.

Doe snapped one of the violently purple flowers off of the plant as it shrieked, while Lily held it's thorns off to the side.

" And they fought alot?" Lily asked.

" It was constant," she said picking off another flower.

" Maybe they're just going through a phase" Mary said sketching the flowers on a piece of parchment.

" Yeah, I've heard my parents go through their fair share of rows before" Marlene said.

" But never about what one of your parents were" Doe told her, " I don't know why the magic thing is so hard for her to grasp. She knew before she married him"

" Sometimes it's really hard to be apart of our world without being in it" Lily said, " my parent's even feel left out"

" I guess so" Doe said as she took the flowers and began dissecting them.

" Your parents have been together for years, Doe. I'm sure they'll work it out" Mary told her.

" I really hope so, My dad needs her" Doe said pulling two petals off of the flower.

They finished the lesson and headed back towards the castle, chatting about how 'close' Marlene had gotten to having Sirius kiss her, but all Doe could think about was whether her parents would still be together when she came home for the summer.


	8. Ch 8 Career Conundrum

8

Career Conundrum

As the year continued on and the idea of O.W.L's become more than a distant thought. Their teachers were giving them more homework than ever before, and the exams were approaching quickly. As they drew nearer, the idea of career selection became a very real for the fifth years. They came back from a Defense against the Dark Arts lesson one day to find the common room littered with career information and pamphlets all over a few of the tables and a large notice on the board detailing the times they were supposed to meet with McGonagall to discuss their career choices. Doe's was Friday at noon.

She walked with Lily around the room looking at all the different colored pamphlets and fliers. There were hundreds of career choices littering the tables. Everything from Dragon catcher to Apparition test provider.

" I think I would make a fantastic Minister for Magic" Lily said picking up a fluorescent yellow flier.

" You would" Doe agreed, picking up the blue one labeled ' Could You Fit in at St. Mungos' and placed it down after reading the first question 'Do you mind witnessing horrific burns or spell damage?'.

They rounded the corner and Doe spotted the one she was looking for, The green pamphlet clearly read out in bold letters ' Do You Have What it Takes To Be An Auror?"

Doe grabbed the last one, just as another hand reached for it.

" Looks like you've taken my pamphlet, Meadowes" Sirius commented nodding at the pamphlet in her hand.

Doe eyed him curiously. Sirius was looking at her with a strange expression also.

" I don't think I have, actually" Doe told him.

Sirius let out a low chuckle, and Doe frowned at him.

" You don't honestly intend on being an auror, do you?" Sirius asked.

" I do, in fact" Doe said sternly, crossing her arms.

" Oh Come on, " Sirius said, " You're joking"

Now Doe was irritated. Sure she was small, but she was good at magic. She had a decent chance of becoming an auror.

" We'll see" she said turning on her heels and walking back to over where Lily was. She was standing with Marlene who had her arms crossed staring at the fliers.

" There is just simply nothing I want to do with my life" she said in desperation.

Marlene was not alone in her observation. Many of the fifth years were staring at the tables of pamphlets and fliers with looks of uncertainty and disgust. Alice Prewett was standing a good distance away, eyeing the table of fliers with a glance that suggested it might leap up and her bite her.

" So, am I exactly what the Muggle Liaison office needs? or am I fit for a job in Magical Law Enforcement?" Remus said walking over holding to pamphlets in front of Doe.

" Well," She told him, " You know nothing about muggles, but you do happen to know the daughter of the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Office"

Remus grinned widely, " Ah the beauty of connections"

Doe grabbed the Law Enforcement Office Pamphlet and read it carefully, it listed the long application process and likelihood of career placement.

" Somehow I think you'll have better odds" She assured him.

He blushed lightly, " How ever will I convince this daughter to help me out?"

" I'm sure you'll think of something" Doe told him.

They watched as Otto Bagman clearly outlined to his brother Ludo the chances of making it as a successful quidditch player across the room.

"... I mean honestly Ludo, you have to be realistic. There's what, one spot per year?"

" I see you have collected your only option," Remus said looking at the auror pamphlet in Doe's hand.

" I don't need anything else" she said stroking the crease of the pamphlet.

She had been cradling it like it was something much more important than a flier.

" Your self assurance is amazing, I wish I was that sure" he told her.

" You will be," she said pulling a piece of fuzz off of the sleeve of his sweater, " you just have to find it first"

The career meetings with McGonagall had been happening all day for the past two days. Students went in and out. Some returned with large smiles plastered across their faces and others returned looking more uncertain than they had before even entering the meeting.

Doe's stomach was in knots while she anticipated my own meeting. She didn't know what to expect, since they weren't supposed to discuss our meetings with anyone else. What if Professor McGonagall didn't think she had what it took to be an auror? Would she encourage her to do something else? By the time that 12:00 on Friday rolled around, she was practically shaking with nerves.

" She's all ready for you, Doe" Marlene said coming into the common room. She looked a little shaken. Doe knew Marlene had gone in there with no idea of what she wanted to do, and hoped Professor McGonagall had been understanding of that.

Racked with nerves, Doe left the common room and headed for McGonagall's office.

The large double doors were closed when she approached them, so she knocked lightly.

" Come in" McGonagall called and the doors opened on their own.

Doe walked in and closed the door behind her. She felt a little faint.

"Take a seat, Ms. Meadowes" McGonagall said looking up from the parchment in front of her.

Doe sat down in one of the velveteen armchairs in front of her desk. She sat on her hands to keep them from shaking.

" How are you, Ms. Meadowes?" Professor McGonagall asked.

" I'm well, Professor. And you?" Doe asked.

McGonagall nodded curtly, " I am quite well."

She watched her pull out a folder marked _Meadowes, Doe_ and open it in front of her.

" Well let's begin then shall we, have you thought about your career at all?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Doe nodded quickly, " Yes Professor, I want to be an auror".

Doe watched her arch her eyebrow and look down at her. This was a look Doe frequently got.

" You understand that the auror program is a very difficult and competitive program, yes?" She asked not lowering her eyebrow, " with certain physical and mental needs that some people find too difficult"

" Yes, I am aware, buts it what I want to do. It always has been" Doe told her sternly.

Doe tried to make her face as serious as she could. She knew a lot of people had probably told her that they wanted to be aurors. It was a very glamorous career from the outside, but it wasn't just the excitement that drew her to it.

" Well, if you're sure, it is my duty to warn you that on average the department only takes three students every five years, and once accepted there is a four week training session followed by two mandatory years of extended study"

Doe nodded earnestly.

" In order to be even be considered you must receive at least an Exceeds Expectations O.W.L. in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Potions." She said rifling through the papers in the file, " but it seems that you seem to be on track for that, I needn't worry about your marks. Do you have a backup plan, in case this doesn't work out?"

Doe sighed, as much as she hated the idea of doing anything else with her life, she knew it was irresponsible to not have a backup plan.

" I suspect I would also apply to the healers program or maybe for a position within my father's department at the ministry" She told her.

Professor McGonagall nodded, " Well it seems as if you have a very clear plan, Ms. Meadowes. I suggest you study hard and I hope you accomplish it"

" Thank you Professor, I fully intend to" she said with a large smile across her face.

" You may go," Professor McGonagall told me, " Please send in Mr. Pettigrew".

Doe left Professor McGonagall's office with a sense of purpose. She knew what she needed to do in order to become an auror and she was determined to do it.

Doe climbed in through the portrait hole and motioned to Peter, " Professor McGonagall is ready for you"

Peter made a nervous face and then disappeared through the portrait hole.

" See it wasn't bad at all, was it?" Lily said to Doe. She had had her meeting several days before.

Doe sat down in the armchair next to her.

" No, it really wasn't that bad"


	9. Ch 9 The Great Study

9

The Great Study

" I can't fathom where it could have gone" Remus said several days later. Doe was sitting on his bed, while he frantically searched his trunk for a book on Transfiguration.

" Do you want me to help you look?" Doe asked him.

He shook his head, " No, I'll find it don't worry" he said pulling stacks of books out of his trunk and piling them on the floor.

Doe found it strange sitting in the boy's dormitory. It was very similar to the girls only set up opposite. And it was a fair bit more disorganized. None of their beds were made and all of their belongings were strewn across the room.

" Ah Ha!" Remus said pulling out a large leatherbound book, " I found it".

He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, " It has all of the most known Transfiguration spells, I figured you might want to use it to study" he said earnestly.

Doe stroked the open pages. It was full of common transfiguration spells.

" Definitely, thank you so much" she said happily.

" Honestly it was no problem," he said, his hand brushed over hers.

It had gotten to the point where she had become so comfortable around Remus, she didn't remember what it was like to not be close to him.

She leaned forward and kissed him. He moved closer to her, and held her face to his.

His hands moved slightly to her waist, holding her to him, while they moved ourselves closer to one another.

It was so strange to her that she was able to be this comfortable with him. A few months ago she dropped her trunk if he even spoke to her.

They were still kissing when the door to the dormitory opened and James, Sirius and Peter walked in.

They broke apart quickly, both of them a bright shade of pink. Doe had moved her hand over mouth. She avoided the eyes of the boys in front of her.

" Oops, sorry Moony" James said smiling widely.

" Didn't mean to interrupt" Sirius said with a wink.

" I was just loaning Doe a book" Remus said quickly, his voice quivering with embarrassment.

" Uh huh, that's exactly what that looked like" James added.

Doe grabbed the book off of the side of the bed, " I'm going to go. Thank you for the book".

" Doe, you don't have to go" Remus said quickly.

" Yeah, don't leave on our account" Sirius said slyly.

" I have to go work on the potions project with Severus anyway, I'll see you later Remus" she said casting one last glance at Remus who wore a look of nervousness and longing.

She waved goodbye and practically ran down the stairs of the boys dormitory, almost bumping into a group of 7th year boys who eyed her curiously as she passed. She was exhilarated.

She decided to head down to the empty classroom on the fourth floor where she told Severus she'd meet him to work on the Potions project. She would be a few minutes early, but she figured it would be a good thing. She needed a few minutes to clear her head.

She really liked Remus, and it still seemed so odd to her that they were together. Almost as if it were too good to last.

She opened the door to the classroom. Severus hadn't arrived yet, so she took out all of the supplies. Severus was bringing the potion we had begun preparing. They had finished all of their potions except for one, Veritaserum. They were weeks ahead of everyone else in the class, even Lily who flourished in potions had only finished two and ½. Severus and Doe had turned out to be a good match. They worked well together.

The project had forced them to spend time together, and she was kind of glad it had. Despite the uneasiness and surliness that Severus often projected, underneath he was a very smart, considerate person, but it took a lot to bring it out.

Over the past few months she had seen a side of Severus that she hadn't previously.

They had even become friends. Sort of.

She was setting up the cauldron when the door opened and Severus walked in carrying three vials of clear liquid. These three vials were the three vials of the Veritaserum they had prepared. Three, in case they had made a mistake.

" Hello Severus"

" Doe"

" Are you ready to try these?" Doe asked, some excitement in her voice.

Severus raised an eyebrow, " Don't sound too excited, even if this works you may be spilling your darkest secrets"

" Only if you ask the right questions" Doe told him, setting up the three tests in front of them.

She took a deep breath, " Which one should we try first?"

Severus eyed them all carefully and pointed to the first one. It looked exactly like the other three.

" Who should go first?" Doe asked.

Severus didn't answer. He simply took the first vile and took a sip of it. After a minute, he seemed fine.

" Do you feel anything?" Doe asked.

" Not particularly" He said.

" Okay, let me ask a question. What is my name?" Doe asked him.

" Marlene Mckinnon" he lied effortlessly.

Doe felt a small sense of sadness as she realized the first vial didn't work.

" Damn it, it didn't work" she said, " I guess I'll try the next one"

She sniffed the second vile, it smelled a lot like vinegar but some potions did have an acidic smell.

She brought the vile to her lips and took a sip.

It felt like her mouth was burning, all of the skin on the inside of her mouth felt like it was being stripped away. She began coughing, every motion feeling rough on her mouth. She could feel herself foaming at the mouth. Something was very wrong.

She tried speaking, but between the choking and the foaming at the mouth, she couldn't get anything coherent out.

" Doe, put this in your mouth now" Severus said handing her a small stone.

She kept coughing, the burning sensation and the foaming not disappearing. If anything, it was getting worse.

Frustrated and nervous, Severus grabbed her jaw and tried to open it, forcing the small stone into her mouth.

" Doe you need to swallow it" Severus said earnestly.

Through the burning and the coughing, she managed to swallow the stone. Slowly she felt the pain ease and the foaming from her mouth stop.

She coughed again.

" What the hell was in that?" she demanded.

" It was supposed to be Veritaserum, " Snape said incredulously, " I don't know what could have happened.

She wiped her chin. Her lungs and throat still hurt from the coughing and burning.

" Thank you for the stone, what was that?" Doe asked him.

" Bezoar" Severus said, " It stops poisons".

They both looked at the third vial with trepidation. After the last batch, they worried they had done something wrong.

" I'll do it, since I prepared it" Severus said.

He hesitated for a moment and then brought the liquid to his mouth and took a small sip.

He didn't move for a minute and then turned to her, " I think it's okay"

" Who do you hate most in this world?" Doe asked testing the serum.

" James Potter" Severus said quickly without pausing or hesitation.

" And who do you think is the smartest in out year?" Doe asked.

He tried to keep his mouth closed but the words spilled out anyway, " You and Remus Lupin are equally as impressive"

Doe grinned widely and cried out " I knew it!" as Severus scowled.

She knew he would never willingly admit that, so the Veritaserum must have worked.

" We did it!" she exclaimed happily.

Severus bottled the Veritaserum and labeled it so they could present it to Slughorn.

" I'll see you in potions" he said quickly and fled the classroom, leaving Doe very confused.


	10. Ch 10 Fever Frenzy

10

Fever Frenzy

A new sort of trepidation filled Hogwarts. O.W.L's were nearing closer at an alarming rate and all of the fifth years were beginning to realize that they had put off studying for far too long. Everywhere you went, you could hear the hushed whispers of enchantments and students trying desperately to repeat the twelve uses of Dragon blood.

The Gryffindors had taken to setting up stacks of books all over the common room and studying during every free moment they had. Five years worth of textbooks and notes were scattered across the various tables, and anyone below fifth year had taken to hanging out on the grounds to avoid all of the frenzied studying.

Doe sat down amidst a large stack of books about Defense Against the Dark Arts trying unsuccessfully to memorize every single defensive spell she had learned at Hogwarts

" Expelliarmus, Petrificus Totalus, Finite-" She was cut off as someone took the book she was holding from her.

" You know everything there is too know about Defense Against the Dark Arts" Lily said closing the book and putting it on the table.

" You haven't looked up from that book once in an hour, and we're going to be late to Potions" she reminded her.

Doe looked up to see that the common room was almost empty and the rest of the fifth years were gone. Slightly disgruntled at being disrupted from her study hibernation, she abandoned her books and followed Lily out of the common room and towards the dungeons.

" You better get O.W.L.'s in every subject with how much you've been studying" Lily said.

" I better, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't pass" Doe said as they walked into the classroom.

Most of their class was already there and beside their partners. Doe quickly waved goodbye to Lily and joined Severus at their table in the front of the room.

" Hey, Severus" Doe said.

He smiled slightly, " Doe".

In the last few weeks, Severus had been very polite to Doe. They seemed to have progressed to the friends stage. He even saved a seat for her in the library during the evenings so that they could study for their exams together.

Severus had already set up their five potions on the table in front of them. They had bottled the five potions in a flask and labeled them accordingly.

Doe took all six of the essays out of her bag and began tying each of the essays to the appropriate potion.

" I think,.. were done" she said in astonishment.

Severus stood back and admired the work they had spent almost a year on.

" It seems as if we never would" He said.

" Should we fetch Slughorn? To turn it in?" Doe asked.

Severus nodded curtly, his eyes still staring at the potions on the table.

Doe walked over to the desk where Slughorn was stirring something in a small pewter cauldron.

" Um, Professor? " She asked. He looked up.

" Why, Yes Ms. Meadowes. Do you need help with some directions?" Slughorn asked.

" Actually, " she told him, " Severus and I have finished the project."

Slughorn's eyes widened, " The _entire_ project? All six essays as well"

She nodded, " They're all there on the table, Sir"

Slughorn quickly strode out from behind the desk and walked over to where their potions sat.

He took a moment to examine each one and then turned to both of them, wearing a look of admiration.

" It seems you have, indeed finished. I guess that's what I get when I put two of my most dedicated students together" Slughorn said.

" Take 10 points to each of your houses" he said smiling.

Doe beamed, always happy to earn Gryffindor more points. Severus looked unsurprised.

" I suppose you two can just review for now" Slughorn said, seeming unsure of what else to have them do.

Severus and Doe sat back down at the desks and opened their textbooks, becoming absorbed with the potions they needed to know to pass their exams.

The rest of the period passed quickly. Doe was far too absorbed in studying to notice anything else.

When the period ended, She said goodbye to Severus and caught up with Marlene and Lily who were discussing Sirius' latest conquest.

"...if anything Marlene, it just proves how misogynistic he is" Lily said, " He uses girls"

" He can use me, honestly I wouldn't even mind" Marlene said through frustration.

" You know," Doe told her, " It is a bit odd that he's never tried anything with you. Especially because you are more than willing"

" Maybe that's it" Lily said, " Marlene, why don't you try being a little less available"

Marlene furrowed her brows, " Would that work?"

Doe shrugged, " It's something"

They headed back to the common room. Most of Gryffindor was in there.

The fifth years were easily distinguishable, because instead of enjoying Fabian and Gideon Prewett's faux duel, they were the ones with open books.

Mary and Alice were sitting on one of the couches on the left side of the room, reciting Goblin Wars of 1812, Caradoc Dearborn had an open charms book in front of him listening to Emmeline Vance tell him about what was on the Charms exam the previous year, Remus and Peter were sitting on another couch reading their own books. Even James Potter was clutching a battered copy of their potions book. The only one who wasn't studying was Sirius.

He sat in one of the large armchairs, his legs hanging lazily over one of the arms, wearing a haughty expression.

" Not studying?" Doe asked him sitting down next to Remus.

" Don't get him started," Remus said with a slight eye roll.

" No, Meadowes. I don't need to study. I will get an Outstanding in everything" Sirius said with a look of pure confidence on his face.

" It'll be interesting to see you as a fifth year again, next year" Lily said opening her Transfiguration textbook with a laugh.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her.

" You Know, Evans. I'm pretty good at Transfiguration. I could help you study. A little private session" James grinned at her from his armchair.

Lily scowled, " I would rather fail than get help from you, Potter"

James winked at her seductively, causing her to scowl again and bury herself in her book.

" I found those notes you were looking for, " Remus said pulling out a leaflet of History of Magic parchment and handing them to Doe.

" Thank you, You are a lifesaver" Doe said looking at Remus' detailed summary of Goblin rebellions and Wizard uprisings.

" That's what they call me, Remus Lifesaver Lupin" he said leaning back against the couch and opening his book again.

Doe opened her own book, and laced her other hand through Remus', their fingers intertwined. He didn't look up from the book but a large smile spread across his face.

" Honestly I can't tell which is more revolting, your affection or the fact that you are still both studying" Sirius said with a disapproving shake of his head.

" Please just help me" Doe begged Severus a few days later.

" And why do you need _my_ help?" Severus asked trying to walk away.

" Because there's a practical part of the Defense exam and I'm struggling with this one spell" Doe begged.

She had caught Severus on the grounds on his way to the library.

" And why aren't you asking one of your friends, I'm sure Lupin could help you" Severus scowled.

" I thought I was asking a friend" Doe said crossing her arms, " Plus everyone knows you're good at defense"

Severus eyed her with the look of annoyance he often did, but it seemed he was having trouble saying no. Doe had sought him out personally.

Severus sighed, " Fine, which spells are you having trouble with"

" It's just the one," She said her foot dragging across the dirt, " the confundus charm".

Severus sighed loudly and gave her a knowing look.

He placed his books on the bench, " Take your wand and go stand over there by that tree"

Doe grinned and followed his instructions, standing beside the large beech tree.

" Now, the incantation is Confundo, and when you say it, you need to flick your wrist"

Snape motioned for her to recreate his motion.

" Confundo" He said showing her a practice round.

As the spell hit her, she felt very dizzy. She wanted to walk towards him but she couldn't. She fell over to the side, very confused.

After a few minutes the spell began to wear off and the world around her became less fuzzy. She got to her feet unsteadily.

" You ok?" Severus asked.

She nodded, steadying herself.

" You try now" Severus ordered her.

It took several tries, but eventually she managed to confound Severus.

" I did it," she said when the charm wore off of Severus, and he managed to stand up.

" Thank you so much" she said happily, " I had never gotten it to work before"

Severus rolled his eyes at her and waved her off with his signature arrogant wave.

" Bye, _friend_ " she called happily behind her as she headed towards the Great Hall to get some lunch.

She could see Severus' look of irritation as she left, and she smiled to herself. Slowly, she was cracking his surly demeanor.

She found her friends sitting at the end of the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall. Textbooks were open in front of everyone except for Sirius.

" There you are" Remus said, " I was beginning to think you'd become glued to the library"

" Ha ha" she said sitting down and grabbing a sandwich from the plate in front of him.

" Someday, you're going to regret all that time you wasted studying for exams" Sirius said biting into a sausage.

" Somehow I doubt it" she said, letting her head drop onto Remus shoulder.

" Okay so, Urlich the Evil rose to power in 1546" Lily said to Mary.

" No that was Urlich the Ugly, you've confused him with Egreg the Evil" Mary said pointing to a passage in the History of Magic textbook.

Lily buried her head in her arms, " I am going to fail every exam"

Lily's comment was interrupted by a small first year walking over to them. In his hands was a velvet box containing about thirty embossed cards.

" Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, Ms. Meadowes, and Ms. Evans?" He asked. In he held out four cards with their names printed on them.

Doe recognized Slughorn's handwriting instantly.

" Oh no," Lily said recognizing it too.

" Yet another Slughorn Dinner Party" Remus said slipping open the invitation. Doe opened hers as well.

Ms. Meadowes,

I would like to cordially invite you to another meeting of the Slug Club. This time I have decided to host a dinner party in my chambers. Just a select few students who I think would enjoy it. I do hope you can attend. It is this thursday evening.

With most sincere wishes,

Horace Slughorn

" Why the bloody hell did he invite me?" Sirius asked.

" Your brother is always there" Remus said.

Sirius groaned loudly, " Do you think he'll take points off my grade if I don't show up"

" It's likely" Lily said, " he's quite proud of his parties"

Sirius sighed, " let's bring on the party then".

The night of Slughorn's party was a busy one. Doe had spent far too long studying and was running very late. She climbed the steps of her dormitory and found a fully dressed Lily sitting on her bed.

" I know, I know. I'm late" She said quickly slipping into a green dress and shoes. She ran a brush through her hair and spun around.

" Okay?" Doe asked Lily, turning so that she could see her.

She nodded, " You look great. Let's go"

Doe followed her down the stairs and into the common room.

Sirius was sitting on one of the armchairs in dress robes looking extremely unamused. Remus was standing next to him, dressed still in his robes from earlier. He had a packed bag in his hands.

" You're not coming to the party?" Doe asked him.

He frowned, " No, I can't. My mom's sick again. I've got to go."

She bit her lip, " I'm so sorry Rem, I hope she feels better" she told him.

" I'm sure she will" he said and quickly kissed the top of her head before disappearing through the portrait hole.

" Are you two ready?" Sirius asked.

Doe and Lily followed Sirius out of the common room and towards Slughorn's living quarters. It was just above the dungeons, where the Slytherin common room was.

They knocked quickly on the door.

A third year hufflepuff in a bowtie opened the door and greeted them.

Slughorn's living quarters had been decorated with large purple paper flowers hanging from the ceiling above an ornately decorated table. The table sat at least twenty. It seemed as though a variety of every house was present.

Doe saw Severus, Lucius Malfoy, and Bellatrix were all sitting on one side of the table with superior looks on their faces. Each seat had a place card. Doe was sat in between Sirius and Lucius Malfoy.

Everyone took their seats and waited for their host. After a few minutes, Slughorn walked down his marble staircase, adorned in violent fuschia robes.

" Welcome everyone to another one of our little elite gatherings for Hogwarts best and brightest." Slughorn said beaming at the students assembled at the table.

Sirius wore an expressions that suggested it actually pained him to be here.

" I thought that this nice evening of good food and good conversation would be a nice treat before the stress of studying gets to you fifth years" Slughorn chuckled to himself, but most of the fifth years were still to anxious about the upcoming O.W.L's to join in his amusement.

" So let this little soiree begin!" Slughorn said with a clap. At his announcement, several younger students came out carrying entrees they put in front of everyone.

They began to eat as the conversation continued. Slughorn like to egg conversation out of his pupils.

" How is your grandfather, Lucius?"

" Do tell me how is your sister Gwenog, still playing Quidditch"

" Ms. Muffler, how is your mother. Best healing potion I'd ever seen made was made by her"

Doe hung back out of the conversation, until Slughorn said " Ah Ms. Meadowes, Mr. Snape, do tell us how you finished my little project so quickly"

Doe looked to Severus, who bore the same slightly put out look that she did.

" Just dedication, Sir" she said quickly taking a sip of water.

Slughorn grinned widely, " Well I would assume so, Tell Me Mr. Snape did you come across any difficulties"

She listened as Snape placated Slughorn by giving him details of their project and how they did it, looking thoroughly annoyed as he did so.

Doe kept looking at the large clock in the back of his office. This was valuable studying time. Sirius was also looking at the clock, desperate to leave.

Lily seemed like the only Gryffindor in the room who was enjoying themselves. It was nearly eleven when Slughorn finally said looking at the clock for the first time this evening, " Great Scotts, I've kept you all far too long, better get moving before Filch has you all put in detention"

Doe and Sirius left the table quickly. Lily waited saying goodbyes and finishing her conversation.

" Let's get out of here, " Sirius begged, " Lily'll be fine"

" I'm with you" Doe told him, quickly leaving the room at his heels.

They walked back towards the common room.

" That was awful, " Sirius said shaking his head, " Bloody awful. How do you go to those all the time?"

" I feel like I have too," Doe said shrugging, " Slughorn pesters me about it every time"

Sirius shook his head, " That was my last, I don't care if he fails me, I am never doing that again"

Doe laughed, " You act like someone was performing the cruciatus curse on you"

Sirius' eyes were still wide, " That was probably worse than any unforgivable curse"

Doe rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness.

" Are you really not studying for the O.W.L's?" she asked him as they climbed one of the staircases towards the dormitories.

Sirius shook his head, " Of course I'm studying, but can't let the others see that. It would ruin my reputation" he laughed loudly.

" You're ridiculous Sirius" Doe told him as we approached the fat lady.

" On the contrary, I am being quite Sirius." He laughed, " You get it? Like Serious?" and laughed again.

Doe rolled her eyes and followed him into the Common Room.


	11. Ch 11 OWLS

11

O.W.L.'s

By the time their first exam came around, Doe was a complete mess. Transfiguration was the first one they were to take, and the morning of Doe was practically shaking as they lined up outside McGonagall's classroom.

" You're going to be fine, don't worry" Lily assured her.

" I'm just worried" Doe said pacing slightly.

Professor McGonagall's doors opened and she ushered the fifth years into the room. The Gryffindors were taking this exam with the Hufflepuffs. They were to take the written exam first, followed by the practical.

Doe sat down at her usual desk and found a parchment test and quill waiting for her.

" You may begin," Professor McGonagall said and flipped over a large hourglass.

Doe's head began to spin and she flipped over the exam.

1\. What is the proper incantation to turn a toothpick into a needle?

2\. If you were to give the spell ' Curifurius' at a chair what would occur?

3\. How would I turn a mouse into a snuffbox?

4\. What are the four most important spells in Transfiguration?

and it continued for 150 more questions. Doe began furiously scribbling the answers to the questions. She was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of them were things that they had learned this year.

Time passed very quickly while she was taking the test. Before she knew it, she had finished with a few minutes to spare.

She checked her answers over once and put down the exam. She looked around the room.

Lily was still scribbling answers. James was sitting with his feet up on the desk, he had clearly finished a while ago.

Marlene and Mary were both still answering questions and Remus was reading over his. Sirius flipped through his own and was rereading his answers.

" Time" Professor McGonagall called and all of the tests zoomed towards her, organizing themselves in clear piles in front of her.

" You may all line up outside in alphabetical order for the practical portion" McGonagall said opening the doors with a flick of her wand.

Everyone left the room silently and waited until the doors had closed again before beginning to talk.

" That was brutal" a Hufflepuff complained loudly.

" Awful" Lily agreed.

" I thought it was a breeze" James said with a smile.

" How do you think you did?" Remus asked, he was standing besides Doe.

" I think I did alright, what about you" she asked.

He shrugged, " I can never tell".

The students all lined up alphabetically, and waited for McGonagall to come outside. Doe was situated between Marlene and a Hufflepuff boy.

Professor McGonagall strode out of the room a few minutes later and called " Bones, Amelia".

Amelia got up and followed her into the examination room.

An hour later, Professor McGonagall strode out again and called " Meadowes, Dorcas".

Doe got up and followed Professor McGonagall back into the classroom. There was an elderly wizard in the room who introduced himself as Examiner Diggle.

" Now, Ms. Meadowes" he said reading off of the piece of parchment in front of him, " could you please transfigure the rat in front of you into a water goblet?"

Doe nodded and raised her wand to the rat on the floor in front of her.

" _Ferraverto_ "

The rat transfigured itself into a shiny gold water goblet.

" Excellent!" the examiner said happily, " and if you don't mind could you make the water goblet dance?"

The rest of the week was exhausting. The exams took a lot out of the fifth years. Every moment they weren't taking the tests, they were studying.

Some of the exams had been harder than others. The astronomy practical had been slightly challenging, seeing as most of the students never observed the planets using telescopes so their charts had been labeled a bit off. The History of Magic written exam had been the most difficult in Doe's opinion. All of the goblin's names sounded very similar, so it was easy to get them confused during the essay portions. The Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures exams went very well. Professor Sprout and Professor Henley had prepared them well.

The divination practical had been absolutely ridiculous. The examiner expected them to be able to read their palms and predict their futures from the their tea leaves. Doe had thought she had done her best, but seeing as she wasn't a Seer, there was no way to know she did.

Soon all they had left was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

" Great, " Marlene complained as they sat outside of the DADA room, having just finished the practical portion, " The part I'm worst at"

Doe was still beaming from the practical exam. Low and behold the confundus charm had been on the exam. She had been wishing Severus a great arsenal of compliments while she had done it.

" You may now enter" said Professor Gleeson opening the door.

They had this exam with the Slytherins. They all entered and took their regular seats around the room.

" I hope you all do well on your final exam" Professor Gleeson said and flipped over the large hourglass.

Again, Doe became absorbed in the exam quickly scribbling all her answers, not noticing the two hours slip away from her. She finished minutes before time was up.

Most people were still working, Remus, Sirius , James had all finished but Peter was still writing away. Mary and Lily had both finished but were watching Marlene who still was writing with a lack of concern about the time.

Doe looked to where Severus was. He was leaning very close to his paper practically on top of it writing furiously. It looked like every single one of his answers was an essay.

" Okay, time's up!" Professor Gibbons called and all of their exams flew out of their hands and towards him. Everyone got up very excited at this point. They had all finished their exams and survived.

" We. Are. Done." Marlene exclaimed throwing her arms around both Doe's neck and Lily's.

" Thank Merlin" Mary said pulling her hair into a ponytail.

They followed all of the rest of the fifth years to the grounds. After the weeks of studying that they had all endured, it seemed as though everyone wanted to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

" Lets go sit by the lake!" Mary suggested. The Marauders were all sitting against a nearby tree.

The girls all sat down by the lake letting their feet dangle just above the water and enjoying the sunshine.

" I can't believe our exams are over, I am so relieved" Lily said letting her dark red hair cascade over her shoulders like a blanket.

" I know, I'm so -" Doe's words were cut off by a large noise.

A crowd had assembled by the beech tree. They could hear cheering and shouting. The girls got up and rushed over to where the commotion was coming from.

"... I saw him, his nose was all over the paper. They won't even be able to read it, they'll be great grease stains all over it" Sirius said sneering.

Sirius and James were on their feet towering over Severus. Everyone looked very tense.

Severus raised his wand at Sirius and shouted an incantation.

Sirius narrowly missed it and shot a spell at Severus, " Better clean up that mouth of his" he said and large pink bubbles blew uncontrollably out of Severus' mouth.

" I wonder if this'll teach Snivellus" James said and levitated him. Severus hung in the air.

" Let's take off Snivelly's trousers" Sirius shouted and with another spell, severus pants fell revealing a pair of gray underpants.

" STOP IT" Lily hissed running over, " LEAVE HIM ALONE"

" I don't need your help" Severus snapped at her.

" Just leave him alone, What's he ever done to you?" Lily said shoving James.

" Just existing" James sneered.

He turned to Severus, " It's a good thing you've got Evans here to save you"

Severus got up and pulled his pants on, " I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her"

Lily stepped back as if she had been slapped, there was collective gasps from the small crowds assembled.

" Fine." Lily snapped, " But I'd change your underpants if I were you, Snivelly"

" Apologize to Evans!" James said pointing his wand at Snape.

" Don't you try to defend me!" Lily said angrily to James, " you're just as bad as him!"

" I would never call you a.., that" James said in shock.

" Oh please you walk around here all the time with your head so big, you are so arrogant. and you're NO BETTER" Lily snapped and stomped off.

Severus, obviously furious lopped off in the opposite direction. Doe could see his cheeks were pink beneath his curtain of dark hair.

Mary had run after Lily. Marlene just stood next to Emmeline Vance, unsure of what to do.

Remus was still standing by the tree, a look of pure shock on his face.

Doe walked over to him, " That was disgusting" she said, " how could James and Sirius be so blatantly awful?".

Remus made a face, " I don't agree with what they did, but Snape's not exactly innocent. He's always egging them on, and look what he just said to Lily,"

" Yeah, but no one deserves that kind of public humiliation" she said.

Remus frowned, " I suppose that's true"

In the next few weeks that followed, Lily refused to speak to Severus. He had tried to apologize and every time she refused to listen to him. It had caused her to be in a foul mood, and anytime anyone brought it up, she would just say " We're no longer friends".

And while Doe agreed that's what Severus had said was disgusting, she knew, like she was sure Lily did deep down, that he hadn't meant it.

So on one late Saturday afternoon soon before break ended, she headed down to the library to try and find him.

She slipped past the few students who were finishing up last minute assignments and spotted Severus in the back corner, half hiding behind a stack of tall dark books.

" Mind if I sit?" Doe asked.

He looked up at me with a look of pure hatred and disgust.

" I don't sit with Gryffindors"

Ignoring his comment, she sat down in the seat beside him. He was practically spilling with anger.

" What exactly is it that you want?" Severus asked venomously.

" I know you didn't mean it," she told him, " when you called Lily that"

Severus' evil grimace lightened a little.

" I know you care about her, and I know how awful Sirius and James can be"

Severus scowled, " and yet you're friends with them"

Doe shrugged, " They're not all bad"

Severus looked furious. His jaw was set and his lips were white in anger.

" But" Doe interjected, " They're awful around you"

He looked slightly less angry.

" I'm sure eventually Lily will come around" she told him, " She has too"

Severus shrugged, " I really hope so"

" But in the meantime" she told him, " You've still got one friend in Gryffindor"

Severus raised an eyebrow, " Lily will be furious with you"

Doe shrugged, " She'll get over it. I don't ditch friends".

She got up from the table and waited, " See you around, Snape"

He waved her away again. She smiled at the familiar gesture, rude as it may be.

She left the library and headed to the tree on the grounds where she told Remus she would meet him.

He was sitting there, with his head buried in a large book.

" Hey there, Lupin" she said sliding into the spot of the tree trunk so that she was next to him.

" Hi, Doe"

They were completely alone on the grounds, everyone else was inside enjoying one of their last days of the year in their common rooms.

She leaned over and kissed Remus. They were hardly ever were alone. He pulled her closer deepening the kiss. She adjusted so that he could wrap his arm around her as she held her face to his.

" I missed you today" Remus said a smile on his face.

She leaned against him, letting him leave his arm around her.

" I'm sorry there was something I had to deal with in the library" Doe said.

She told him what she had said to Snape. She bit her lip as she waited for his reaction.

" Do you think it was wrong?" she asked him.

Remus shook his head, " It was very...noble of you"

She relaxed a little, " I just don't want Lily to be mad that I am still talking to him."

Remus looked at her, " I think you're doing the right thing. And Lily will understand that even if she doesn't agree with it"

" You're quite the philosophical wizard, aren't you? Where have you been all my life to answer my deepest questions?" she asked him in mock amazement.

He smiled and pulled her closer to him, " Waiting for you, Meadowes"

Doe groaned at the cheesiness of his line and they both laughed, enjoying the rest of the afternoon.


	12. Ch 12 The Last Day

12

The Last Day

The last day of term was always the most bittersweet of days at Hogwarts. The excitement from the House Cup - Ravenclaw's win- and the feast from the previous night were over and now all of the students stood with their trunks on carts ready to leave for the Hogwarts express.

" I cannot believe we are going to be sixth years soon" Marlene said excitedly as they loaded our luggage on the train.

" I know, it's strange" Doe said observing the beauty of Hogwarts as it towered over them.

" You know, I'm really going to miss this place over the summer" Lily said looking at the castle fondly.

" And you guys," Mary said, " we need to all hang out".

" Of course, you can all come stay with me!" Marlene announced as she pulled them into a hug.

" I assume we are invited as well?" James asked with a wink as he and the other Marauders strode over.

Marlene rolled her eyes, "You wish".

" Well I certainly do" Sirius said winking at her.

Remus walked over and Doe grabbed his hand, it was becoming second nature for them.

" Well say goodbye kids, we've got two months to reek havoc on the world before returning in September" James said.

They all took one last fleeting glance at Hogwarts, and boarded the train towards their second homes.


	13. Ch 13 The Summer Before Sixth Year

13

Summer Before Sixth Year

After being at Hogwarts for any length of time, coming home didn't really ever feel like coming home to Doe. Being in the warm crowded common room in Gryffindor Tower for the last 10 months, made her house seem all the more quiet and empty.

Her father was always at work. You-Know-Who had become much stronger, and with more deaths and attacks, it required him to spend long hours at the office.

Her mother had taken to filling her days with activities in which she deemed 'perfectly normal'. She was often knitting, or planting in the flowerbeds. She attended book club meetings and met her friends for lunch.

Doe knew they were avoiding each other. They had been fighting a lot lately. Her father was extremely swamped with work, so he often wanted to talk about it, and her mother disapproved of too much talk about magic. Which left almost all of their conversations about dinner or the house. When they weren't discussing menial household topics, it was silent. Or worse, they were fighting.

Without any siblings to keep her company, Doe spent most of her time locked in her room.

She read a lot. Reading kept her linked to the magical world.

She wished desperately that she lived in one of those wizarding houses where magic was used often and spellbooks were laying abound. Her father had a large collection of magical books in his office, and he always let her read them, just as long as she didn't leave them lying around for her mom to find.

Doe craved a household like Marlene's. Marlene came from a pureblood family and her whole house was always full of magic and mayhem. It was just like being at Hogwarts.

She missed Marlene. She missed all of her friends.

Marlene had gone with her whole family to spend the month in Monte Carlo. Lily was also gone, she and her family had gone to stay with her grandmother in France. Mary had stayed home but she lived on the other side of the country and was always busy watching her sisters.

Even Remus had gone with his family to their lake house for the month.

It was very lonely. Besides reading and watching tv there wasn't much else for Doe to do.

All she had accomplished today was reorganizing the bookshelves in her room. They had been toppling over with books and now they stood tall and organized by author.

She was just finishing putting the last book on the shelf when she heard a knock on the door. Her dad was at the office and her mom was at the flower market with a friend, so she cautiously walked downstairs to the door.

She kept my wand clutched tightly in her right hand. She knew chances are she would never need to use it, but her father had instilled a deep sense of caution in her.

 _"_ _It's getting dangerous in our world," he told her, " I want you to always be prepared"._

She stood in front of the door and stepped on her tiptoes to look through the peephole.

Standing on her front steps, was the long haired, tanned shape of Sirius Black.

She opened the door with hesitation.

" Sirius?" she asked.

" Hey there Meadowes" he said with a wide grin. He walked past her and into the house.

" Come on in, Sirius." she said sarcastically and shut the door.

Sirius was standing in the living room and looking around.

" Your house looks exactly the same as it did when we were little" he said taking it all in.

" Yeah, well." Doe shrugged, " My mom doesn't do well with change".

" What are you doing here, Sirius?" she asked.

She didn't mean for it to be so blunt. It wasn't as if she wasn't enjoying his company.

Sirius and her were friends, and it was already two weeks into their summer and she was already bored out of her mind, but it had been years since Sirius had been over to her house.

The last time he did, they hadn't even gone to Hogwarts yet.

Sirius grinned widely at her, leaning against the living room wall, " Well Meadowes, you see all of our friends have gone on vacation for the summer, and seeing as you live right across the street, and frankly are more fun than Regulus, I figured it would make sense if we were to hang out"

" You and me?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, " Unless you've personally found something to occupy your time?"

She crossed my arms, " I've been bored silly, truthfully"

Sirius grinned, " Oh trust me, I'm sure you've had more fun here than I've had in the old House of Black"

She shrugged, She knew Sirius didn't like his family, but as a wizarding family she was sure Sirius was at least able to acknowledge the wizarding world. Something she was very jealous of.

Sirius walked over to the stairs and began to climb them. Curiously, she followed him up the stairs.

She watched as he climbed to the third landing and to the door that was hers. Shocked that he remembered which room was hers, she followed him in.

" Now this room has changed" Sirius said looking staring at her room.

" In 6 years? I'd say so" she told him, hovering in the doorway.

Sirius walked over to the union jack flag hanging from her wall, he ran his fingers over the frayed edges.

" I remember pink ruffles and butterflies" he said.

" Well it's been awhile" she said, " that's what happens when you grew apart"

" We were very close once" Sirius said he pointed at the Puddlemore United poster on her wall.

" Is Puddlemore your team?" he asked in disbelief.

" Yes. Why?" she asked, getting the defensive tone to her voice that she always got when someone questioned her quidditch team,

" I pegged you as more of a Hollyhead Harpies girl" Sirius said with a laugh.

" Because I am a girl?"

Sirius laughed lightly, " guess so"

He sat down on the edge of her bed. He looked very out of place.

" So, come on Meadowes. Catch me up. What have I missed these last few years" he said.

" You see me everyday at school. You haven't missed much" she told him walking over to pick up a few stray copies of the prophet that were scattered on the floor.

" Well seeing as you're my only friend within this postal code, you should expect me around a lot" Sirius said with a grin.

" Well, good" she told him, " It was going to be a long summer without any company"


	14. Ch 14 Endless Season of Summer

14

The Endless Season of Summer

Surprisingly, having Sirius next door ended up being extremely convenient. The days that had felt like they would never end before became more bearable with someone to spend them with. Oddly, it was like no time had passed between ages 10 and now. Sirius had managed to be good company.

Seeing as they were the only ones around, the two spent most days together. They sometimes went to the park or out to muggle London, but most of the time they were just at Doe's house. Sirius despised both his family and his house so he avoided it at all costs. He was around so often that both Doe's parents had gotten used to his constant presence.

One night her father returned home early from work and found Sirius sitting in the living room for the third night in the room.

" Sirius you've become such a constant figure around here, you might as well move in" he said with a laugh.

Sirius was seated in the armchair beside Doe.

" Oh trust me, Mr. Meadowes, I'd much rather live here than my own home" Sirius said.

Her father had laughed and walked into the living room.

Both of her parents adored Sirius. They always had. They thought he was a perfect example that a good kid can from even the worst families.

Doe continued reading the prophet. Lately it covered much more death and tragedy than good news.

" Sirius, I suspect Doe hasn't been much company lately, all she does is read" My father said with a laugh.

Sirius joined his laughter. Doe narrowed my eyes at both of them.

" I've had to practically drag her away from her books" Sirius said, " but then again I have to do that at school. Between her and Remus. One of them is always at the library."

Sirius perched himself at on one of the barstools in the kitchen.

" Would this be the famous Remus Lupin?" Her father asked with a grin and an arched eyebrow, " as in Doe's secret lover?"

Doe grabbed a pillow off of the couch and threw it at her father.

" Don't call him that" she said.

Sirius was grinning so wide it looked like his mouth was going to spread in half, " The very same"

Her father sat down beside Sirius, " Now tell me Sirius, Is he a good young man? Doe won't tell us a thing"

" Oh he's about as good as they come, Sir." Sirius said earnestly, " he's one of my best friends, and he's much more behaved than me"

Both of her parent's laughed.

" You're not misbehaved, Sirius" her mother told him, " you're spirited"

" I like that, Spirited Sirius" Sirius said smiling, " come on Doe, let's get that started"

"Somehow, I doubt Filch will agree" Doe told him.

" Filch is irrelevant, He will always hate me" Sirius said with an impatient shake of his head.

" And it's completely unwarranted," she said sarcastically, " It probably has nothing to do with the hundred of pranks you've done and school rules you've broken?"

Sirius put his hand up in front of her, " Hush, Meadowes"

She rolled her eyes at him.

" Are you going to be staying for dinner, Sirius?" her mom asked taking out the dinner plates.

Sirius nodded earnestly, " I would love to Ms. Meadowes"

Doe made a face at him from the other side of the counter. She wasn't used to seeing him this polite or charming.

He took a napkin from in front of him and balled it up, tossing it in her direction.

The phone rang shrilly in the background.

" Dorcas, can you please go answer that?" her mom asked opening the oven door.

" Sure," she told her and walked over grab the phone off the wall.

" Meadowes residence" she said into the receiver.

" Doe?, is that you?" Remus asked, " Can you hear me? Doe?"

" Rem? Are you using a telephone" she laughed into the phone.

Remus was halfblood, but both of his parent's were wizards and they didn't have very many muggle items.

" Yes" Remus answered, " And it's very weird. I'm at this strange box, it's called a payphone"

She laughed lightly, " I've missed you"

" I've missed you too, more than you know" Remus said.

" How've you been, how's the lakehouse?" she asked twirling the cord around my fingers.

" It's been good. It's beautiful here" Remus said earnestly, " you'd love it"

" Listen, Doe. Actually my parent's were wondering if next month when we get back if you and your parents wanted to come over for dinner? They're dying to meet you guys" He said quickly.

" I'd love too" she told him earnestly, " And I'm sure my parents would love to as well"

" Please insert another 50 cents for an additional three minutes" the electronic voice rang out on the line.

" Listen I've got to go, but I'll owl you okay?" Remus said.

" Yes, definitely. I'll talk to you soon" she told him.

She placed the phone on receiver feeling very happy. She and Remus had written each other a few times but it was nice to actually hear his voice.

" Was that Remus?" Sirius asked with a wink.

" Oh shut it, Black" she snapped it him. She could feel her face turning pink while she blushed.

" What exactly would your parents love to do?" Her father asked with a smile.

" Well" she said perching herself onto the edge of the counter, " He and his parents invited us over to their house for dinner next month" she said.

" How wonderful!" her father chorused, " I can't wait to meet them"

" Are Remus' parents wizards?" her mother asked quietly.

" Yes" she told her tentatively. She made a small face and then turned back to preparing dinner.

Sirius' eyes caught meet Doe's and he raised his eyebrow in confusion.

" Later" she mouthed. He nodded his head.

She knew he was going to ask. Her mother's strange attitude towards the wizarding world was very confusing.

They finished the rest of the meal keeping casual conversation. It was strange to her how well Sirius got along with her family. She suspected that he despised his own so much that even her non-magic home felt more cozy than his own.

" Well, personally I think we should do something fun tomorrow, like Diagon alley" Sirius said as he put his fork down.

" Okay, fine." she told him.

" You two need to be careful," Her father warned, " Don't wander off. It's not the safest place right now"

" Diagon Alley isn't safe?" she asked incredulously. Her entire life Diagon Alley was regarded as one of the safest places in the Wizarding World. She had been allowed to wander alone there since she was eight.

" No magical place is entirely safe right now" her father said, " just be alert okay?"

" Oh we will be, Mr. Meadowes" Sirius said.

When they all finished eating, She and Sirius brought the plates back to the kitchen.

" So, why did your mom ask about Remus' parents?" Sirius asked her while she washed some of the plates. She handed him a towel so he could dry.

She looked over to where her parents were. They were in the sitting room, far out of earshot.

" She's ridiculous. She despises everything about the magical world, including witches and wizards" she told him.

Sirius' eyebrows furrowed, " But both you and your dad are…"

" I know, it's dumb" she said.

" But she married your dad, knowing he wasn't a muggle right?" Sirius asked.

She sighed, " I think she married him despite it".

Sirius' eyes widened, " My mom is a witch who doesn't like muggles, and yours is a muggle who doesn't like witches"

She laughed, " Yeah I guess so"

" Why doesn't she call you Doe?" Sirius asked.

Doe shrugged, " I have no idea really. We don't get along very well".

Sirius looked forward and dried the dish in front of him, " Well I hate my entire family. Be happy you have your dad"

And they kept doing the dishes until the sink was empty.

The next morning she had gotten up early and gotten a small bag of her gold together for the occasion. She loved going to Diagon Alley. Every time she was there she always felt connected to the magical world. It was so refreshing to be around people who would talk about potions and wands and magic. It was like being back at Hogwarts.

Both of her parents had left for work before she had even gotten up, so when she heard a knock on my bedroom door she froze.

" It's just me, Doe" Sirius voice rang through the wood.

She had been sitting on the floor near my desk, half-crouching behind it.

" Come in" she called.

He strode in his head down, " Your front door was unlocked".

She looked at him and saw that he had dark bruising across his cheekbone. It looked as if he had been hit, hard.

" God, Sirius are you okay?" she asked striding over, examining it closer.

Sirius nodded, " I'm fine. Let's just go".

She shook her head and went into the bathroom that was next to her room. She opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a jar of creme that was meant to heal injuries. She took the jar and brought it back into her room.

" Hold still" she told Sirius and began to dab it on his face.

" Sirius, How did you get this?" she asked.

Sirius pursed his lips.

She didn't push him. Sirius would tell her if he wanted to. He was always a very private person when it came to the most intimate details of his life.

" It was my mother" Sirius said quietly.

She looked up at him, " Does it hurt?" she asked, putting away the medicine.

Sirius shrugged, " Not anymore"

She sat down on her bed. Sirius followed and sat down next to her.

" Want to know the best part?" Sirius said slight anger in his voice, " It was all because of a tapestry, because I hung up a Gryffindor tapestry in my room"

She looked at him, " That's not wrong, Sirius. It's her issue not yours"

" They can't stand that I'm not in Slytherin. They always bring up the fact that I'm the first Black in a three centuries that isn't a Slytherin" Sirius said.

He clenched his fists, " I'm glad I'm not a bloody Slytherin. They're all a bunch of slimy evil bastards"

Doe let him rant. she watched his muscles tighten angrily and clench his fists as he went on.

When he stopped and took a deep breath, she turned to him, " Sirius, they can't treat you like that. It's disgusting"

He shook his head at her, " I don't even care anymore. As soon as I'm seventeen, I'm out of there"

" Do you want to skip Diagon Alley, we could just hang out here, or talk" she told him.

He shook his hair out of his eyes, " No. I want to go. Let's go"

Doe frowned and looked at Sirius' sullen expression. She hated seeing Sirius anything other than the over-confident ass he was.

" Are we using floo powder?" Sirius asked.

Doe nodded, " The fireplace is downstairs"

They headed downstairs to the fireplace. Doe grabbed a handful of floo for both of them. She handed Sirius his.

" See you on the other side, Black" she told him and threw my floo into the fireplace.

" Diagon Alley" she rang out clearly.

Doe hated traveling by floo powder. She felt herself land very hard on the floor of the fireplace in the leaky cauldron. She was covered in dust. She stood up and almost bumped her head on the top of the fireplace.

A second later she felt something slam into her and Sirius' dusty shape fell against her.

" Ow, Sirius get off" she said crawling out of the fireplace.

" Oh yes, Doe. Because I choose to slam into you" Sirius said rolling his eyes but with a smile plastered on his face.

They brushed the dust off of their clothes and walked to the back of the pub where the brick wall was. She let Sirius tap the bricks and watched as the cheerful streets of Diagon Alley appeared in front of them.

The streets were full, as they always were on Saturdays.

They saw lots of people they knew from Hogwarts. Mafalda Hopkirk and Xenophilius Lovegood were seated at a table in front of Fortean Fortescue's Ice Cream, and Amos Diggory was leaving the pet shop carrying a large ornate cave with a brown owl.

They had only been in Diagon Alley for a few minutes when Sirius turned to Doe excitedly.

" Can we go to quality quidditch supplies?" Sirius begged, " I want to go see the new brooms"

" Sure, let's go" Doe agreed.

Sirius ran to the store and she watched as he stared at every single product, trying to make sure he saw everything.

He eyed a new set of platinum beater's bats

" Now those could do some damage" Sirius said stroking the base of bat.

" Even without them you're still a better beater than any of the other houses' teams" she told him.

" Well I'm better than Hufflepuffs for sure, They're team is rubbish" Sirius said boldly.

" Amos Diggory is a pretty good seeker" she said looking at a pair of leather gloves.

" One decent player out of seven isn't good" Sirius told her walking over to a wall of Quidditch posters.

They spent the rest of the day walking into the individual shops, looking at all of the new products that they had put out for the coming year. After they had gone into almost of all the shops they had some ice cream at Florean's.

" I have an idea" Sirius said smiling widely.

" And what is that?" Doe asked throwing away the last soggy bit of her cone.

" Let's check out Knockturn alley" Sirius said mischievously.

Doe eyed him incredulously, " You can't be serious"

He grinned widely, " Actually, I am Sirius. Sirius Black"

She rolled her eyes at him, she should've expected that.

But he had to be insane. Knockturn Alley was a street off of Diagon Alley. It was notorious for being Dark and containing shops that were devoted to creepy things. She had never been allowed to go. Her father had warned her it was the breeding ground for dark magic.

" Come on, you can't be an auror and be afraid of a dark street" Sirius said egging her on.

He knew exactly which buttons to press to make her give in.

" Fine, after you" she said.

Sirius smiled and bounded off towards the street. Doe followed after him begrudgingly.

Knockturn Alley was completely made of dark gray cobblestone. The entrance was at the very end of Diagon Alley. Everything in it seemed to be decaying.

The shops were like caves settled into the wall, rather than the bright displays of Diagon Alley.

She took a deep breath before following Sirius down the path.

All of the witches and wizards we passed did not look friendly. They all wore angry expressions and were dressed in either black or Emerald.

" bunch of ruddy Slytherins, I should've known" Sirius said.

Doe smacked him on the arm, " Not a smart thing to say here"

She clung closely to him. They passed a particular scary look witch with frazzled grey hair who was leaning against the wall, talking to herself.

Upon noticing them, she jumped up and grabbed onto Doe's arm. " Surely you're lost? A nice young girl like you doesn't belong here. Why don't you follow me into my shop, I'll help you find your way back" she said in a voice that sounded very sinister.

" No thank you, " Doe said trying to pull her arm out of her grip.

" But I i _nsist_ " the witch said through the missing gaps in her teeth.

" Were fine" Sirius said pulling her arm from her grasp and pulling Doe forward.

Doe shuddered as they passed her and Sirius said " What a creepy old bird"

" Sirius, where are we going?" Doe asked. The street was beginning to get darker and creepier, and I didn't like the looks we were getting from the other wizards on the street.

" Just a little further," Sirius said, " There's a shop I want to go to"

They rounded a corner and in front of them was a large slanted shop with tall broken windows covered by black curtains. The sign out front read in chipping letters ' Borgin and Burkes'.

" Come on, " Sirius said opening the door for her.

She went in quickly, glad to avoid the street and it's strange inhabitants.

Although once inside she immediately regretted it. The shop was very dark and cramped. It was covered floor to ceiling with strange objects.

There was a shopkeeper hovering behind a desk. He was staring at them with a look of pure disgust.

" Is there anything I can help you find?" he growled.

Sirius shook his head confidently, " No were just looking" he said directing Doe down an alley of scary looking glass orbs.

" Creepy bloke, huh?" Sirius whispered as he ran his hand over something that looked a lot like a dagger.

The place seemed like it was getting scarier the longer they were in there.

" Sirius, can we please go?" Doe said. Her heart was racing. She felt like something bad was going to happen here.

Sirius nodded, " Yeah this place is giving me the creeps".

Grateful to leave, she threw open the door and was back on the street.

" That was terrifying" she said to Sirius, " absolutely frightening"

Sirius shivered, " I know that shopkeeper was downright-" he stopped mid sentence and all the color drained from the face. She tried to turn to see what he had seen behind her, but grabbed her roughly by the wrist and pulled her into the an empty alley of the street.

" Sirius what's going-" she tried to ask him something but he put his hand over her mouth and whispered,

" Doe, don't say a word"

She turned to look where Sirius was staring blank faced.

Filling the street was a group of people clothed in dark cloaks and wearing metal masks, hissing something unrecognizable. It took her a minute to realize why they looked so familiar.

She had seen them on the front of the prophet, underneath the dark mark.

They were death eaters. You-Know-Who's supporters.

She now understood Sirius' panicked actions. Sirius looked terrified. His whole face was contorted in fear and his whole body was stiff.

They stood quietly in the alley, covered by darkness, neither of them moving, while the death eaters passed and disappeared down the street, further into Knockturn alley.

Once they were out of sight, Sirius and Doe emerged from the alley.

" Are you okay?" Sirius asked when they were safely back on the familiar path.

" I'm fine. You?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, " I'm fine. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have gone. I was just curious"

Doe shook her head, " You didn't know, but let's not mention this to my dad okay?"

Sirius laughed, " Oh trust me, I won't. I don't fancy getting arrested"


	15. Ch 15 Dreaded Days

12

The Dreaded Days

The rest of the summer passed quickly with Sirius' company. Lily and Marlene were coming home within the next few days and Remus had already been back for a week.

Doe had written and she and her parent's were going to floo over to Remus' houses on Sunday for dinner, so that everyone could meet each other.

Doe spent most of her days just hanging out with Sirius. He was there often. It upset him to be home with Regulus and she didn't mind having him around.

He had become a constant figure in the Meadowes household this summer.

One evening, Doe was sitting in the living room reading her of the prophet, when she noticed two owls sitting outside of their front window. One was her father's who had a note tied to his leg, and the other she didn't recognize, but he also carried a note. She opened the window and let them both in, removing their notes and putting them out a bowl of water.

She took the note from my father's owl and opened it gingerly.

Doe,

I am officially home and want to invite you to stay at my house for a few days. Marlene, and Mary are also coming over. I miss you all so much, so you simply must come. There you go, you have no choice. I'll see you Tuesday. I can't wait to tell you everything.

Tons of love,

Lily

P.S. Please send me a response back so I know you got this.

Smiling to herself at the familiarity of her letter, she scribbled that she would love to spend a few days with her on the back of her letter and tied it back to her father's owl.

With an angry hoot, he flew out of the open window and disappeared into the sky.

She opened the other letter.

Doe,

I can't come over. My mother apparently was not happy that I have kept in contact with my cousin Andromeda and has since locked me in my room. So unless you've learned to apparate in the last 12 hours, i'm screwed.

Sorry,

Sirius.

She frowned. Sirius' mother had locked him in his room for just talking to Andromeda. Andromeda was Sirius' eldest cousin who had been ostracized from their family for falling in love with a muggleborn wizard.

Doe was sad that she wouldn't get to see him today. She had become used to spending most days with him

She couldn't go over there. His mother had always despised her, because of her mom. She had forbade Doe from ever walking through her front door. Apparently, She wasn't the right sort of witch. Or at least that's what she said very harshly to the nine year old Doe one day at the playground.

A thought occurred to her. She had only said she wasn't allowed in her front door.

She grabbed her wand off the table and slipped it into her boot, leaving the house quickly.

The street was empty as most of the adults that lived here were at work. Even the kids were all inside. She walked around to the back of the houses and stopped when she got to the back of Sirius'. She could clearly see the faded number 12 printed by the back door. She eyed the fire escape carefully. If she was careful, she would be able to climb up to Sirius' window.

Her only concern was that she would be spotted by his family in one of the other windows.

She took a deep breath and began climbing the ladder, ducking every time She passed a window with an emerald curtain. She could see Regulus sitting in there. He looked up quickly and Doe ducked to keep from being seen by him. She kept climbing until she reached the fourth floor and saw a window that was covered by a scarlet curtain.

Knowing that no one else in his house, besides Sirius would brandish the color of Gryffindor, she knew the room was his.

She reached out and knocked on the window. The curtains drew apart and Sirius confused face appeared.

He broke out into a smile when he saw his friend crouching on the ladder.

He slid the window open excitedly.

" She technically said I wasn't allowed to set foot through the door" Doe reminded him.

He smiled widely, " I'll give you this Meadowes, I see why you're a Gryffindor"

She climbed in through the window, and was caught off guard by Sirius' room. It was adorned with scarlet and gold. Everything from the bedspread to the posters and tapestries screamed Gryffindor. It was as if he was trying to make it very clear where his allegiance laid.

" Remind me Sirius, what house are you in?" she asked him.

" Oh shut it, Meadowes" Sirius said sitting down on the chair in the corner.

The wall closest to her was papered with Quidditch posters and small photographs. She looked at all of them with a small smile on her face. The one closest to her looked like it was taken last year. It had all of the marauders on it and in the corner someone had written Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Their nicknames.

They all smiled at her and some of them waved.

" So how are you, Prisoner?" She asked

Sirius shrugged, " She's bloody awful. She locked the door with a spell, so I'm stuck here"

" I'm sorry," she said sitting on the edge of his bed.

" Whatever, I'm used to it." Sirius said with a shrug, " what's new with you?"

" Well I'm going to Remus' tomorrow, and Lily wrote she's back and I'm going to stay with her Mary, and Marlene on tuesday" she told him.

Sirius broke out into a smile, " Mm. Mckinnon"

Doe grabbed a pillow off of his bed and threw it at him. His quidditch reflexes caused him to catch it before it hit him.

" She's my best friend, Sirius" she told him, " not one of your conquests"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, " You are seeing one of my best friends"

" That's different," Doe reminded him, " Remus and I are together. You don't want a relationship with Marlene"

" I don't get the impression that a relationship is what Marlene wants" Sirius said sternly, " unless I've been misreading her very blatant actions"

" She doesn't think that's what she wants" she said.

Sirius shook his head, " We are not all monogamous like you and Moony. Some of us just like to have fun"

Doe rolled my eyes, " Just don't make her mad, it'll be your funeral"

Sirius grinned widely, " I don't dissapoint"

" Ew, Sirius stop" she said rolling her eyes.

He burst into howling laughter, throwing his head back.

Doe let her eyes wander around the room again and her eyes fell on the door. There was a small silver vapor around the knob where his mom had locked her in.

" So you're mom actually locked you in here for just talking to Andromeda?" she asked.

Sirius frowned, " Well actually it was for RSVPing to her wedding"

" She's getting married?" Doe asked.

Sirius nodded, " Yeah to Ted Tonks, whose a muggleborn so our entire family has written her off, but I don't care what they do, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to their wedding"

" Is it a magical wedding?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, " Have you ever been to one?"

Doe shook my head, " We've been invited to a few but my mom never wanted to go"

" Come with me to Andromeda's, she won't mind" Sirius said quickly.

Doe shook her head, " I don't want to intrude. That's a family thing"

She knew Andromeda from when they were younger. She was a Slytherin, but not an evil one. Whenever she came to visit Sirius, she would always join them in the park when they would play out there.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " None of her family is coming. She'll be glad you're there. You're a friendly face. Just come. It's next Saturday"

" So you're sure it's okay if I go?" Doe asked.

" Meadowes, it's fine. I promise" Sirius said.

He reached over onto his nightstand and grabbed a deck of cards.

" Up for a game of exploding snap?" he asked.

Doe grinned widely, "Whatever you want, prisoner"

" Anne have you seen my blue tie?" Her father called down the stairs.

" It's in your office, on the chair" her mom called back.

They had been trying to leave the house to get to Remus' for a half hour, but they kept getting delayed for everything.

Doe seemed to be the only one who was ready on time. She was sitting on the chair in the living room dressed and ready to go while her parents scurried around the house making sure that they had everything that they needed.

" Is this okay?" Her mother asked coming out in a sweater and a matching skirt. She had taken her hair and pulled it into a bun.

" Mom, it's fine" Doe assured her.

Her father strode out a moment later in a suit , sporting a tie that proudly announced his Ravenclaw roots.

" All ready, you two?" He asked adjusting his sleeves.

" Been ready" Doe told him, " for over half an hour" she added under her breath.

" I'm quite excited to meet the young man you seem so enamored with" her father said with a wide smile.

Doe shoved his arm hard, " Do not say that when were there please"

Both of her parents laughed quickly.

" It's strange to see you so nervous , Dorcas" her mother said with a slight smile.

"I'm not nervous" Doe told her.

It wasn't technically a lie, she was nervous. Not about seeing Remus or meeting his parents but of her parents, more specifically her mother, saying something inappropriate.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

" Let's go girls" Her father said giving both her and her mom one of his arms.

" Oh I hate this" Her mother said closing her eyes. She hated apparition.

She closed her eyes and felt the sharp pull behind her navel as they disappeared and landed on a cobblestone street.

Her parents had both managed to land on their feet, but she had fallen on her knees onto the street.

She stood up trying to wipe the gravel off of her knees, silently grateful she wasn't wearing tights.

The street had three houses all of them spaced far apart. It was a quiet street lined with oak trees, whose branches billowed over the street.

" Number 812, right there" Her father said pointing to the house in front of them.

It was a tall two story house made of warm brown wood. The front door was red and lined with bricks.

They walked over tentatively and knocked on the door.

" What a cute house" Her mother said looking admiring the outside of the house.

The door opened and a women with long dark hair appeared.

She had to be Remus' mom, they had the exact same shaped eyes. She was smiling widely, she had a heart shaped face.

" Oh, Hi you must be Doe" She said pulling her into a hug, " I'm Carol"

" And you must be her parents, hi. We've been dying to meet you" Carol shook each of their hands.

" Come in," She said opening the door to the house and leading them in.

" I'm, Auberon Meadowes and this is my wife Anne" Her father said.

Their living room was set up with so that the first thing you saw was the massive wall covered in books. Doe had expected nothing less from Remus' family.

" Remus, Lyall. They're here" Carol called into the house.

" Were so pleased you could join us, we've heard so much about your lovely daughter from Remus" Carol said with a smile.

" As have we, were so glad we could do this" Her father said.

Carol opened her mouth to say something but before she could, Remus and his father strode into the living room.

They looked so much alike. Remus' father looked exactly as he did, except for the large eyeglasses he wore.

" Doe" Remus said walking over and pulling her into a tight hug.

It was so nice to see him again. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him since school had ended.

They broke apart quickly, feeling four pairs of eyes watching them.

Remus and his father introduced themselves to her parents.

" Auberon, Anne, come into the sitting room and I'll get you a glass of wine. Remus why don't you show Doe around the house?" Carol suggested.

Remus broke into a wide smile, " I'd love to" he said taking her hand.

Her parents followed Remus' into the sitting room and sat down on one of the armchairs.

Doe followed Remus out of the sitting room and into a hallway with a staircase.

" I've missed you so much" Remus said once they were out of earshot.

Doe squeezed his hand, " I've missed you too. You have no idea" she told him.

" Sirius told me you guys have been hanging out lately" Remus said, " Finally warming up to my friends I see"

" Yeah when he's not being obnoxious" she said with a laugh.

Remus smiled, " Do you want to see my room?"

" Yes, definitely," she told him.

She followed Remus down the hallway and to a door on the left. The rest of the house was just as cute as their living room.

" It's actually in the basement so be careful walking down the stairs" Remus said holding the door open for her.

" Thats amazing, I wish I had a basement" she told him as they climbed the stairs down to his room.

Remus' room was exactly as she would have pictured it. Three of the four walls were lined with bookshelves holding every book imaginable.

His bed was pushed against the only wall not covered by books and next to it was a desk.

" You have so many books" she said admiring the walls lined with novels.

" I have a few" Remus said looking down.

" A few?" she asked incredulously, " this makes my collection look like Flourish and Blott's wastebin"

Remus laughed leaning against the edge of one of the shelves.

" Well look at that" she said noticing a picture above his desk.

It was taken at the end of last year, it was of the two of them sitting in one of the armchairs in the Gryffindor common room.

The Remus and Doe in the picture kept looking at each other smiling and then covering their faces, hiding them from the frame.

Remus blushed , " I like that picture"

She smiled at him, blushing slightly " I like it too".

She moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, " I _really_ missed you".

Remus smiled slightly and bent forward to kiss her.

After a minute they broke apart both slightly pink.

" You know if it's even possible I think you've gotten more beautiful" Remus said his hand brushing some of her hair behind my ear.

Doe rolled my eyes at him, "You're so full of it"

" But I'm not," He said still holding her hand in his, " You're practically a veela"

" You, Remus Lupin are ridiculous" Doe said shaking my head.

He rolled his eyes at her, " You just can't see it, but trust me you're breathtaking"

Doe felt her cheeks were now blushing so deeply she looked down. She kissed Remus again quickly.

" You know eventually, we'll need to make an appearance up there" she said frowning.

Remus sighed, " You're probably right" he said.

Doe laced her hand with hers and led back upstairs.

Their parents were all still sitting in the living room, engaged in conversation.

Doe could hear Remus' mother talking as they walked in " … I wonder if it's something in the Gryffindor genealogy, because I was a Ravenclaw and Lyall was a Hufflepuff, but Remus still ended up in Gryffindor"

Doe's father raised his eyebrow, " You know it might be, because you see Gryffindors often come from non-Gryffindor families"

" But then there's the Prewett's" Remus' father added.

Her father laughed, " That's true, the whole lot of them are Gryffindor"

Her mother sat very still with her hands crossed. It was obvious she didn't have very much to add to the conversation.

" Oh kids, there you are" Remus' father said, " Come sit, we were just talking about your house"

Remus and Doe sat down next to each other on the other open couch.

" Don't they make such a beautiful couple?" Carol said aloud.

Remus was still holding her hand. They both blushed scarlet and avoided their eyes.

" Carol don't embarrass them" Remus' father said squeezing his wife's hand.

" I'm not" she said, " But they are, I mean just look at them"

" And they're both smart as a whip as I hear it" Doe's father said.

" You two must be absolutely dying to find out about the O.W.L results, I imagine" Carol said to her parents.

" Oh, I'm sure Dorcas will do just fine" Her mother said finally offering something to the conversation.

Doe watched Carol's confusion at the use of her unconventional first name. She tightened slightly. Remus who knew of her distaste for both her given name and her mother's rampant use of it, squeezed her hand reassuringly.

" Oh of course she will, I think we don't have to worry about either of them" Remus' father said.

A small beep came from the kitchen, " I think that dinner is ready" Carol announced, " come on let's eat"

The rest of the evening went really well. Doe's mother didn't speak very much again but her father seemed to be getting along very well both Remus and his parents.

At the end of the meal, Doe helped Carol bring the plates back to the kitchen.

" You didn't have to do that" Carol said as she helped her put them into the sink.

" It's no problem" she assured her.

She put down her plates and smiled at Doe, " You know, Remus really cares about you, and he doesn't get close with people very often. He's quite introverted"

Doe smiled, " I care about him too, a lot actually".

" I'm very glad he's found you. You're wonderful, I think you're good for him" she told her, a wide smile breaking out on her face.

" I'm glad, he's a wonderful person" she told her.

Her lip quivered, " I agree. Why don't you go find him and spend a little time together. I've got these"

" You sure?" Doe asked her.

She nodded, " go ahead".

Smiling to herself, she left the kitchen and spotted Remus through the sliding glass door. He was sitting on one of the benches outside in the garden.

Doe's mother and father were still sitting at the table with Remus' father discussing the new Gringotts policy so she slipped outside quietly to where Remus was.

" Hey" she said sitting down beside him.

" Hi there" he said sliding over to make more room for her.

It was a little cooler outside than it had been in a few months, but it was nice.

" I really like your parents. They're sweet" she told him.

" They adore you, you should have heard my mother going on about you when we went to get drinks" Remus said smiling.

" Well so do my parents, I can tell my father likes you, and he doesn't give unwarranted approval" she said.

" We make a _beautiful_ couple" he said mockingly, his laughter filling the now darkening outside.

" And were both smart as a whip" she said through laughter.

" Well you are beautiful" he said softly.

" And you're quite smart" she said back biting her lip.

When they looked back up, they noticed Remus' mother was watching them. She looked away when she noticed them watching.

Remus and Doe exchanged a look and then headed back inside to face their parents again.


	16. Ch 16 The Evans

16

The Evans'

" Lily open the door" Doe said knocking on her bedroom door. Lily didn't answer but she could hear soft crying through the door. Doe had been staying at Lily's for the past few days and Lily had just had a horrible fight with Petunia, causing her to disappear in her room.

" No luck yet?" Marlene asked, she had just gotten to Lily's this morning.

" Not yet," Doe told her knocking on the door again.

" Let me try" Mary said walking over to the door, " Come on Lily let us in, Petunia's a git"

The door opened and a very upset looking Lily let them into her room. Her eyes were wide and watery.

" Why does she have to be so evil?" Lily asked angrily, pacing back and forth in her room.

Mary and Doe sat down on the edge of her bed.

" She's a jealous bitch" Marlene said laying herself down across Lily's chair, " who cares what she thinks?"

" Marlene's right" Doe told her, " Petunia is just jealous so she's rude to you on purpose"

" I just can't take it sometimes" Lily said sitting down on the floor and running a brush through her hair, " I never do _anything_ to her"

She brought her knees to her chest and looked frustrated.

" Lily, what are these?" Mary said holding up a stack of letters that had been secured together with a rubber band.

Lily's eyes widened and her face turned as red as her hair.

" These are from Amos Diggory" Mary read from the front of the letter.

Amos Diggory was a very attractive Hufflepuff boy in their year. He was on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and many of the girls in Hufflepuff swooned over him.

" Give me those" Lily said diving for the stack of letters.

Mary handed them to Marlene who was out of Lily's grasp.

" Lily there are a lot of them" Marlene said handing them to Doe.

" You two have been writing to each other all summer?" Doe asked.

Lily crossed her arms, looking even more embarrassed " Yes and?".

Mary, Marlene, and Doe all exchanged glances.

" Well everyone knows he's got a thing for you Lily" Doe told her.

Lily rolled her eyes, " He does not".

" Remus doesn't even write me this much" Doe told her weighing the large stack in her hand.

" And strangely, " Mary said, " You've kept them all?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, " Yes so?"

" You like him," Marlene said rolling onto her stomach.

" So what if I do?" Lily asked, her whole face pink with embarrassment.

Marlene grinned, " Lily's going to slum it with a Hufflepuff"

" Marlene that's ridiculous not all Hufflepuff's are useless" Doe told her.

" They happen to be loyal and kind" Lily said, " and not arrogant mischievous toerags"

" You mean not James Potter?" Doe asked her.

" No," she snapped, " I wasn't thinking about James"

" Uh huh, sure you weren't" Mary said.

" I wasn't" Lily said staring hard at them.

" Well either way, James will be crushed" Marlene added.

" Good," Lily snapped.

" Speaking of the marauders," Doe said turning to Marlene, " I had quite an interesting conversation with Sirius about you"

Marlene sat upright, " Excuse me?"

I smiled, " Well he thinks you're cute and I think he'd definitely be interested in you"

" Are you kidding me? That's not a funny joke, Meadowes" Marlene warned.

" I'm not kidding, he told me that last week" Doe said defensively.

" Alright, that's it. I need a boy" Mary said crossing her arms.

" You know Benjy Flitwick likes you" Marlene told her.

" Yeah but it's Benjy" Mary said.

Benjy Flitwick was known only for his love of charms. He rarely talked about anything else.

Marlene laughed, " Well better that than a Slytherin".

Mary shrugged, " He may evil to the core, but Rabastan Lestrange is very attractive"

" Too bad he's got a thing for Doe" Lily said eyeing her dark haired friend with a wink.

Doe made a disgusted noise from her spot on the bed. She hated Rabastan Lestrange with every fiber of her being.

She rolled my eyes, " I'd rather eat my own tongue"

" There's always Rodolphus, he's cute too" Marlene said.

Mary shuddered, " He's worse than Rabastan"

" Plus, I'm pretty sure Bellatrix has got her claws in him" Doe reminded her.

" But then again, " Marlene said, " What Slytherin hasn't she been with?"

" I wonder if Narcissa is that bad?" Lily asked.

" She's only a fourth year, " Mary said, " it's too early to tell".

The four girls sat in Lily's room gossiping until they ran out of topics.

Being back with her friends was like being back at Hogwarts again for Doe. They were her family, and she couldn't wait until they would all be back at castle ready to spend the year together again.

They spent most of their few days together at the Evans' just hanging out in Lily's room avoiding Petunia. She and her boyfriend Vernon were always around, and looked for any excuse to degrade Lily and her friends.

Vernon was a smug loud boy who worked for a drill company, Petunia was always going on about what an entrepreneur he was. It drove Marlene insane.

Lily's house was a muggle house, but with all of them in it it felt like they were once again sitting in the common room.

Early Saturday morning, Doe had her bag packed and ready to leave.

" Aw, Doe. Don't leave, just stay. " Lily said hugging her tightly.

" Lil, I have to go. I promised Sirius I'd go with him to his cousin's wedding" Doe said pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.

" I'd like to remind you that we were friends first" Lily said crossing her arms, her lip pouting.

" Actually, Sirius and I were friends when we were little" Doe reminded her.

" That's not the point," Lily said sadly.

" Aw Lil, I'll see you on the 28th, to go buy our stuff in Diagon Alley okay?" Doe told her.

" Fine" She said throwing her arms around her.

" Bye guys" Doe said hugging Marlene and Mary.

She waved goodbye once more and went out to where her mom was waiting in the car.

Lily's house was a muggle one, and didn't have a floo powder connection, and her father was at home working so her only way to get home was the car that her mom owned.

It was buick and she was the only one who used it. Doe had only been in it a few times and it was always before she had turned eleven. Riding in it for too long made her uncomfortable.

" How was Lily's?" Her mom asked.

" It was fine" Doe told her, trying to focus on the scenery outside of the window.

" I like Lily's neighborhood" her mom said.

'Of course you do, not a wizard in sight' Doe thought to herself.

The ride back to where they lived was an hour long. The constant moving and vibration of the car put Doe on edge. As soon as they parked behind the building, she practically threw herself out of the car and up the stairs into the house.

" Hi dad" she called into the open doors of his office.

" Hello, Doe. Did you have fun at Lily's?" He asked.

She nodded, " Yeah it was great to see her"

She went upstairs into my room and closed the door behind her. It always felt strange coming back home after being away, even if it was only for a few days.

She opened the door to her closet and dug in the back trying to find one of the few dresses that she owned. She pulled out a melon colored one that was sleeveless and flowed around her knees.

She was surprisingly really excited to go. She had never been to a wedding before, muggle or magical, and Marlene told her that magical weddings were always quite an affair. There was magic everywhere and the ceremony was always really beautiful.

Deciding It would be better to be presentable, she fixed her hair, securing it in a low bun on the back of her neck.

She slipped on the dress, five minutes before she heard Sirius knock on the front door.

" Oh Sirius, don't you look dashing" her mother called from downstairs.

She heard Sirius chuckle. " Well seeing as Andy is the only family I like, I figured it would be nice to look decent"

" I'll be right down" Doe called over the landing, almost tripping down the stairs.

When she walked into the living room, she saw Sirius sitting in one of their chairs. He was dressed in black dressrobes, his hair had even been styled.

She eyed him curiously, " You don't even shower on a regular basis, this is weird." she told him.

" _Dorcas_!" her mother chastised shrilly.

But Sirius wasn't offended, he threw his head back in laughter, " You look nice too, Meadowes"

She rolled my eyes at him, " Are you ready?".

" I am," Sirius said getting up from the chair.

The wedding was at the the Tonk's house in the village, so she and Sirius were going to floo there.

Doe grabbed a handful of floo powder from the box and so did Sirius. She let him go first. He dropped a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and said " Tonks Manor". She watched the flames wrap themselves around him and saw him disappear.

She dropped her own powder and said very clearly " Tonks Manor".

The flames engulfed her and she thought she did something wrong because instantly she felt herself shoved against twelve other people, cramped in a very tight space. Sirius was pushed right against her left side and there were people on all sides of her.

" Goodness me, HAROLD, it's stuck again. Too many people coming by floo" a voice called from somewhere close.

More people had flooed in and now there was barely breathing room in the fireplace. Sirius and Doe were pressed against each other desperately hoping no one else flooed in.

She felt a shift as the people closest to the entrance left the fireplace, and left room for the rest of them to file out.

" You okay?" Sirius asked while they entered into a grand foyer. Doe nodded.

" Names?" Someone asked, it was a young man dressed in serving attire. He carried a list names in his hand.

" Sirius Black and guest" Sirius said handing him an invitation from inside his robes.

Doe stared around at the massive house, while Sirius signed into a guest book. The house was huge, it was unlike anything she had ever seen.

" Sorry about the fireplace" Sirius said, " It's a muggle house, they just had it installed for the wedding"

" Don't worry about it" She assured him.

She followed Sirius outside to the garden where a majority of the guests were gathered,

" Right Ted is muggle-born" she remembered.

Sirius nodded, " hence the reason none of Andromeda's family will be here"

" None of them?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head, " I think I am the only Black here"

" I'm afraid you're not the only blood traitor Black here dear Nephew," someone said behind them.

Standing behind them was a tall dark haired man who looked a lot like Sirius but with quite a bit of facial hair.

" Uncle Alphard, I didn't know you were coming" Sirius said.

Alphard shrugged, " I have already scorned the name Black, why not celebrate it with dear little Andromeda".

" Doe, this my uncle Alphard, the other black sheep of the Blacks" Sirius said.

" Doe Meadowes" She said shaking his hand.

" I'm surprised you've brought someone here with you," Alphard said, " our family laundry is not something you usually like to air"

Sirius shrugged, " Doe grew up across the street. She knows the ridiculousness of the Black clan firsthand"

Alphard nodded, " Ah yes, the little girl with the muggle mom. Auberon's daughter"

" That would be me" Doe said bitterly.

" My dear sister wouldn't even let you in the house, If I remember correctly" Alphard said.

" Something like that" she said softly.

" Well I'm going to go find the bar, if you'll excuse me" Alphard said and strode away.

" He was..nice" Doe told Sirius, struggling to find a word that explained him correctly.

Sirius smiled, " He's an odd one, but he isn't like the rest of the family, he's a Slytherin but he doesn't detest muggles like the rest of them".

They walked out to where the altar was set up. There was a magical fountain that kept spewing little heart shaped bubbles, and an enchanted drink cart that kept refilling itself. She could easily see where Ted's family was. They all were staring at the magical decorations in awe. She couldn't imagine how exciting it must be to be seeing this all for the first time.

" Come on," Sirius said, " Let's go find Andromeda".

He started leading her to a small cottage that was off to the side.

" Sirius, she's getting ready, I'm sure she doesn't want to be bothered" Doe told him.

Sirius shook his head. " Nonsense" and grabbed her arm pulling her over to the door to where they were all getting ready.

Sirius knocked once and a blonde bridesmaid opened the door, " Oh Andromeda it's your devilishly handsome cousin Sirius" she said with a large smile.

" Hello, Helena" Sirius said with a wide smile, narrowing his eyes in a way he always did when he was flirting. Doe had to resist the urge to snort.

" Tell him to come in" a voice called from inside the room.

Helena opened the door wide enough so that both Sirius and Doe could come in.

There were six girls all dressed in pink bridesmaids dresses and in the corner was Andromeda. She looked breathtaking. Her hair was pulled into a long braid and she was dressed in a short sleeve ball gown that made her look angelic.

" Sirius, you're here" She said smiling brightly.

" I wouldn't miss this for the world" Sirius said pulling her into a tight hug.

" You really look stunning, Andy" he said when they broke apart.

She smiled, " I'm really happy".

She looked over to where I was, " Doe is that you?".

" Yeah, it's me." she said coming over to her. She hugged me tightly.

" You look beautiful" she told her.

" Aw thank you," she gushed, " I didn't know you were coming. Are you Sirius' date?"

" I dragged her along with me" Sirius said through laughter, " She thought she was intruding"

Andromeda frowned, " No, of course not. I'm so glad you're here. You can keep Sirius company so he doesn't sleep with one of my bridesmaids"

Sirius winked at her from the corner.

Doe laughed, " I'll keep a watch on him".

Sirius walked over to Andromeda, " Andy, I just want you to know that I'm really proud of you for doing this, and not to worry about who isn't here"

Andromeda's eyes softened, " Thank you, I love you, Sirius. You and Alphard are all I need"

Sirius patted her on the shoulder, " Were going to go. Don't trip down the aisle"

Andromeda smacked him lightly on the arm, " Well thanks for putting that out there"

Sirius laughed and led Doe out of there.

" That was really sweet" she told him when they headed over to where are seats were.

Sirius grinned, " All for the bridesmaids, Helena is one nice piece of-"

" You're a pig" she said shaking my head.

" I'm kidding"

" I know"

They sat down in two seats in the front. They were beginning to fill up fast.

After a few moments, Ted and the groomsmen stood at the altar, which had been lined with pixies.

Music then began to play, she turned and watched as all of the bridesmaids slowly began to make there way to the altar.

Then the music got slower and Andromeda came down the aisle on the arm of Alphard.

She looked absolutely beautiful. The entire ceremony was beautiful. Ted looked at Andromeda with a look so full of love and admiration that it made her want to cry.

When they were finally pronounced Husband and wife, the erupting clapping was so loud it seemed as if all of England could hear it.

The reception was something else that was very interesting.

The weird sisters, a magical witch band, had been hired to play and it seemed as if everyone was engaged in either dancing or loud, laughter-filled conversations.

" Well if it isn't Hogwarts residential troublemaker" Professor McGonagall said coming over to Sirius.

She and Dumbledore had been seated a few seats away from them.

" Hello Minnie" Sirius said with a wide grin.

" Hello Mr. Black, Ms. Meadowes" Dumbledore said greeting them with a soft smile.

" It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it" Doe said to the two of them, still shocked by the sight of her teacher and headmaster in such a non-school setting.

Dumbledore nodded, " It's so refreshing to see that even in our current climate, love will always trump the divide between magic and muggle. Something I think would do well for us all to remember"

" And I agree" Professor McGonagall stated, " I will see you two at the start of the term".

When they had disappeared into the crowd, Sirius turned to Doe " Well that was bloody weird".

Doe nodded, " Extremely"

They walked around, occasionally noticing a few people that they knew.

" You know, " Sirius said after a while, " I think I may actually ask out Marlene this year".

" I think you should" Doe told him, " worst case scenario, you guys don't like each other"

Sirius grinned, " I doubt that'll happen. Beautiful people get along well"

" Sirius Black, always the modest one" she said sarcastically.

" Now I'd like everyone to join Mr. & Mrs. Ted Tonks on the dance floor for their first official dance as husband and wife" Helena said into the microphone.

" Come on, let's dance" Sirius said offering Doe his hand.

" I am not coordinated enough to dance" she told him remaining seated.

" Well lucky for you, I'm coordinated enough for both of us" Sirius said dragging her over to the dance floor.

They got to the dance floor and she took his hand. Doe had always been rubbish at dancing, so she let Sirius lead. She was surprised to find that he was actually decent.

" I still can't believe none of Andromeda's family showed up" she said with a shake of her head.

" It doesn't surprise me at all" Sirius said, " that's how they all are. Regulus wouldn't even go"

" Im sure she's glad that you came" Doe told him.

" I'm glad I did," Sirius said.

" It's really great that she still loves him despite how she grew up" she said as he spun her out.

" I hope to be the same way" Sirius said.

" You will" she told him, " you're nothing like your family, Sirius"

Sirius flashed her a sincere smile, " You know what, Meadowes? Thank you"


	17. Ch 17 The Great Escape

17

The Great Escape

The next couple of weeks flew by, and summer was nearing an end. Doe was itching to get back to Hogwarts. She missed seeing her friends and the magic of the castle.

They only had about two weeks left when a large tawny Hogwarts owl flew to the window of the Meadowes' house.

" Is that a Hogwarts owl?" Her father asked from the dinner table, pointing to the large feathered bird.

" My O.W.L scores" Doe shouted, realizing why the owl was there and running to the window to let it in.

The owl had a thick envelope attached to his leg. She untied it and flipped it over. It was addressed to her.

Ms. Dorcas Meadowes,

We look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts for the upcoming school-year. Please find enclosed your required supplies list for next year and your O.W.L. scores. We will see you September 1st, at 11;00 in on Platform 9 ¾.

Sincerely,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Doe was anxious. She flipped the piece of parchment over and looked at the next one.

Your Required supplies for next year:

Advanced Potion Making - Year six

Standard Book of Spells- Grade Six

Advanced Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts- The Darkest Chapter

A Guide to Transfiguration- Year six

Slightly more annoyed, she flipped over the last page.

Dorcas Meadowes,

The following are your O.W.L.'s scores presented to you by Hogwarts School of the Arts and the Ministry of Magic's department of Magical Education.

Transfiguration- O

Charms - O

Potions- O

Defense Against the Dark Arts- O

Herbology- O

Care of Magical Creatures - O

Divination - E

History of Magic - E

Doe took a deep breath. All O's, and two E's. She could live with that. The History of Magic E, she had been expecting. There were too many names and dates to be able to memorize them all correctly. And as for Divination, she hadn't expected anything less. She had practically made things up during the practical.

" So?" her father asked, " how'd you do?"

She handed him her results. He took a minute to ponder them and then smiled widely, " Doe these are fantastic"

" Thanks, dad" she said smiling.

" Truly fantastic" her father said rereading them, "looks like you got all of the Ravenclaw brains"

Doe wrinkled her nose.

Her father rolled his eyes, " I'm sorry. How dare I compare you to my house, you courageous little Gryffindor"

She smiled, " Now that's more like it".

She helped them both clean up the dinner table and then read the prophet until she became too tired to stay up any later.

She went upstairs and got into bed, turning off the lights and falling asleep.

It was a few hours later when she was disturbed.

" Doe, wake up"

" Five more minutes, Mum"

" Doe, it's me, Sirius, wake up"

Her eyes shot open and she jumped up. Standing in front of her bed was Sirius. Or the outlined shape of him that she could see in the darkness. She looked over at the clock by her bed, it said it was one in the morning.

" Sirius, what are you doing here? How did you even get in?" she asked through groggy irritation.

" I ran away from home" Sirius said quickly, " I couldn't take it anymore and your window was unlocked".

" You didn't run very far" she said irritably, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She reached over and turned on the light.

She almost screamed when she saw Sirius. He had been beaten, badly.

On his shoulder was one bag. His had a black eye and it was almost completely swollen. His lip was split and still bleeding slightly. He had a gash on his right cheek, and more deep violet bruising across his cheekbone. And from his harrowed posture, and hand on his right side, it looked as if he had been hit in the side as well.

" Oh my god, Sirius. What happened?" she asked.

Sirius' face contorted in anger, " Apparently my O.W.L. scores weren't where the should be"

" So they _hit_ you?" she asked angrily.

Sirius shrugged, " They're loving parents, mine are".

His eyes began to well up slightly with tears, but he stopped himself.

She wanted to kill them. She couldn't fathom anyone wanting to hurt Sirius like that.

" Listen, I'm going to go to James tomorrow, I just need somewhere to stay tonight."

" Yeah, of course, you can stay in the guest room" she told him, " sit down i'm going to get a first aid kit"

She walked out of the room and into the bathroom grabbing the small first aid kit that her mom had put in there, silently thanking muggles for some of their innovations.

When she came back into her room, Sirius was sitting there solemnly. She crouched in front of him and began cleaning some his wounds.

He didn't even flinch when she put peroxide on his cuts.

" Nice pajamas, Meadowes" Sirius said looking at the t-shirt and patterned shorts she was wearing.

" I'm going to ignore that comment, because you're hurt" she told him, putting cream over his bruises.

He chuckled lightly and then stopped abruptly.

" Come on," she told him leading him to the guest room that was next to her room.

He walked in and turned back to her.

" Doe?"

" Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, "Thank you".

Doe threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug letting his head fall on her shoulder.

" You don't need to thank me".

The next morning, Doe got up early. Her parents had both already gone to work, so she didn't have time to tell them that Sirius was here. So instead, she made pancakes. She was just finishing when Sirius came downstairs. His face still was badly bruised, but it looked as if some the swelling had gone down.

" How do you feel?" she asked him.

He looked up at her, " like hell, my entire face hurts"

Doe raised an eyebrow.

" That's not what I meant" she told him.

" Honestly, it wasn't anything I wasn't expecting" he said.

" I left my trunk and things on your front steps" he told me, " I couldn't exactly carry them through the window"

" Remind me to start locking that from now on" she told him.

" I'm going to get them" he said and went through the front door.

He came back in a minute later pushing his large trunk.

" If I'm going to be able to floo this to James', I might need you to come with me, I think it's too big for one person" Sirius said.

" No sorry, I don't think I will" Doe said sarcastically.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Just come help me, Meadowes"

She helped Sirius push the base of his trunk into the fireplace and stood on the other side of it.

They both grabbed a little bit of the floo powder and said " Potter House" at the same time.

The fireplace shivered and they fell hard onto the stone floor of the Potter's fireplace.

She had only been to James' house once before, to work on a summer project the summer before third year. It hadn't changed at all.

Mr. Potter was seated in the drawing room when they appeared.

" James, Eleanor," he called, " you might want to come here"

" Hi, Mr. Potter" Sirius coming out of the fireplace, pulling his trunk. Doe slipped out behind him.

" Sirius, what happened to you?" Mrs. Potter demanded coming into the room and grabbing his face, a look of maternal concern apparent on her features.

" I'm fine, Mrs. Potter honest" Sirius said.

Frowning she pulled him into a tight hug.

" I could kill your family" she said.

" Please do, " Sirius said, " But I do need a place to stay".

" You'll stay here of course" Mr. Potter demanded.

Sirius smiled, " I was kind of hoping you'd say that" gesturing to his luggage.

" I made Doe here help me move everything in" Sirius said with a smile.

" Hello Doe, dear" Mrs. Potter said coming over to hug her.

" Padfoot?" James asked coming into the room, " what are you doing here? I thought you were grounded?"

Sirius smiled, " I'm moving in, Prongs".

" Finally," James said pulling him into a quick hug.

" Hey there Doe," James said when they broke apart, " I hear you've been keeping Sirius here company this summer"

" Keeping me from insanity" Sirius added.

"Someone had too" she said with a smile.

" I should actually go, I didn't leave a note or anything for my parents" she told them.

" Oh of course sweetie" Mrs. Potter said handing her a handful of floo powder.

Sirius came over and hugged her again.

" Seriously, thank you for everything, Doe" he said.

" Could you do my favor" he said quietly, " could you not mention all of this" he said gesturing to his face " to anyone"

" I would never" she told him.

He nodded, " I know".

" I mean I do have a reputation as sex god to maintain and I wouldn't want the girls of Hogwarts to see me like this" he said with a smile.

" You're an idiot" she said stepping into the fireplace. After saying a quick goodbye to the Potters, she disappeared in the flames.


	18. Ch 18

15

The End of the Season

" Why do we need so much stuff all of the time?" Marlene asked as they walked into Flourish and Blotts a few days later.

" We only need four books" Lily commented, " that's less than last year"

" But it's still four" Marlene said as they all grabbed each of the books they needed.

" You would complain if we only needed one" Doe told her.

Marlene shook her head, " You know what, Doe" she said running her hands over her hair.

Flourish and Blotts was crowded and they ran into several people that they knew. They bought their books and headed outside to where the apothecary Lily wanted to go to was.

" Is that the radiant Dorcas Meadowes I see?" a drawling voice behind them called.

Rabastan Lestrange came out from behind them. Trailing behind him was his brother Roldpohous.

" Go away, Rabastan" Doe said angrily.

His face drew out into a cold smile, " Aw, come on Doe, don't be like that"

" Seriously get lost" Marlene snapped.

" I wasn't talking to you McKinnon" Rabastan snarled venomously, " why don't you mind your own business, blood traitor"

Marlene narrowed her eyes angrily.

" Rabastan get out of here," Doe said, " I'm not interested".

Rabastan smiled and stroked the side of her face quickly, " We'll see"

Doe pulled away from him quickly, and watched as Rabastan left them.

" Such a creep" she said shivering slightly.

" He's certainly got a thing for you" Lily commented.

" He's disgusting" Doe said pulling my sleeves over my wrists.

They walked around Diagon Alley for a little longer, stopping to pick up some more quills and potions supplies. They were just leaving a potions shop when they began to hear screaming outside on the street.

" What the hell?" Marlene shouted as they walked out and saw the chaos that had ensued.

People were fleeing everywhere. Doe looked up to see a large dark mark hovering over the sky and a group of cloaked individuals hovering over a body.

They were death eaters.

" We've got to go" she said grabbing Marlene and Lily roughly by their arms and pulling them towards the leaky cauldron.

Lily was as white as a ghost and Marlene kept staring at the group, a motionless expression on her face.

She pulled them both into the leaky cauldron where many witches and wizards were assembled.

" DOE" her father's loud voice rang out. She saw him standing there. He was in his work robes, still on the job. He had a wildly angry expression on his face. Doe had never seen him look that worried before.

" Come on girls, let's go" he shouted quickly grabbing onto each of them and apparating quickly into their living room.

" Why were they there?" Marlene asked, " why Diagon Alley?"

Doe's father shook his head, " I don't know, I have to go back but girls stay here. Don't leave the house"

They followed his instructions and didn't move. They all just sat there, terrified. If You-Know-Who and his supporters could attack in Diagon Alley, they could attack anywhere.

It was pouring rain.

It wasn't the kind of tolerable rain that often happened in London. The light drizzle that fell from the otherwise sunny sky. No, this was the kind of torrential downpour that was so thick you couldn't see in front of you.

The sky was such a dark grey it was almost black, broken up only by the occasional strike of lightning or loud crack of thunder.

The rain was falling in such heavy sheets in slapped itself against the windows, sounding like wood slapping against the glass.

Doe and her father had to dodge the large drops of rain as they pushed her trolley into the confines of Kings Cross Station.

Doe had tried to make a case to him to let her go alone this year, seeing as she would be coming of age in November, but after the recent attack in Diagon Alley, he insisted on accompanying her onto the platform.

" Come on, I'll be fine" she said as we approached the space in between platforms 9 and 10.

" Just humor me" her father said putting his hand on her shoulder and making sure no one was looking at them before launching forward through the platform.

" I could have done that by myself" she told him as soon as they were on the platform staring at the scarlet train.

" Doe, if someone was attacked in Diagon Alley, it could happen anywhere" her father said sternly, " I'm just keeping you safe"

She sighed, " I know"

Her father smiled slightly, and pulled her into a hug, " I love you Doe, have a good term"

" I will, I love you too" She told him.

He smiled at her again before going back through the platform.

It was still raining, leaving a dark tinge on the usually colorful platform.

She noticed that there were a few more parents than usually. She assumed, that like her father, some of the parents were nervous about the recent events.

" Well if it isn't Doe Meadowes" Sirius said coming over to her with James.

" Hey Sirius" she said pulling him into a tight hug.

He laughed and pulled her in closer.

" Hey James" she said happily.

James smiled, " You know Doe, I blame you for delivering Sirius to me. He's been quite annoying"

Sirius grinned, " Oh come on Prongs, I annoyed Doe all summer" he said ruffling his hand on her head.

" It's true, he was downright irritating" she said with a smile.

" Here, Meadowes" James said grabbing one end of her trunk and lifting it into the bottom of the train, " we wouldn't want you to drop it like last year"

She blushed deeply remembering last year when being caught of guard by Remus, she had dropped my trunk onto her foot.

" Thank you, James." she told him, " I'm not coordinated enough for everyday life"

James snickered and lifted it up with ease.

" Are you doing okay?" she asked turning to Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, " I'm fine, beautiful. Stop being such a mom"

" You promise you're okay?" she asked him again, pressing him further.

" Yes, Doe. I'm splendid. Floating on cloud nine" Sirius assured her.

She decided to believe him. He did look better. All of his injuries had disappeared and he was sporting a new glow that was probably due to the lack of stress at the Potter's house.

" Oh look. There's Moony" Sirius said nodding towards the platform where Remus and his mother had just appeared.

" 10 sickles he says hi to Doe first" James said to Sirius.

" I'm not joining a losing bet" Sirius said, " You know he will."

" Doe," Remus said walking over to her.

" Remus, Hi" she said.

Remus wrapped one of his arms around her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

" Doe, nice to see you" Carol said pulling her into a quick hug, " rotten weather isn't it"

" Very inconvenient" she agreed.

She smiled to Remus, " I'll leave you in her capable hands. Have a good term"

Remus smiled back at her, " Thanks Mum. Love you"

Carol gave a fleeting wave and left.

Doe and Remus both walked back over to his friends.

" Padfoot! Prongs!" Remus greeted each of them.

He hugged each of them, looking thrilled to be reunited with his friends again.

" And here comes Wormtail" James said as Peter joined the three of his friends.

" James, Sirius, Remus" He said almost out of breath, " Were sixth years can you believe it?"

" We need to plan some serious mischief for this year" James said, " we haven't done any pranks in forever"

" We need something big" Sirius agreed.

Peter tensed up, " Should we really be discussing this in front of an outsider?" he said looking to Doe.

" Doe's not an outsider" James said rolling his eyes.

" She's with Remus, she's an honorary member" Sirius agreed.

" I apologize deeply, on behalf of my friends" Remus whispered to her. Doe only grinned.

" Don't" I told him, " have your marauder time, I've got go find my friends".

She squeezed his hand comfortingly and then started to walk away in search of her friends.

" See you boys" she said waving to the rest of the marauders.

" She" James said as she walked away, " is a keeper".

Laughing to herself, she searched the platform for any sign of her friends. She saw Marlene standing with what looked like all of her older brothers. Arguing with them loudly.

"... No, I don't care what Mom and Dad said, I don't need six escorts to get on the bloody train!" she shouted shrilly.

" Marlene, calm down" she said coming behind her and hugging her.

" They all came. How ridiculous is that?" Marlene asked her gesturing to all of her brothers. The six Mckinnon brothers were surrounding Marlene, looking like a very blonde Quidditch team.

" Don't complain," she told her, " I wish I had siblings.

" See Marley, " Klaus said, " some people envy you"

" Doe you're an only child you don't know what it's like" Marlene said shaking her head.

" Being an only child sounds great right about now" Lily said joining them.

" Lils" Marlene said excitedly pulling her into a tight hug.

" Hey there Lilyflower" Doe said.

Lily looked exasperated.

" You okay?" Marlene asked.

" Just Petunia? I know, what's new right?" Lily said with a sigh.

The rain began to pound louder on the platform, drenching some students who were standing close to the train.

" We should try and find Mary" Lily said looking around.

" Found her" Marlene said looking over to the front of the train where Mary was talking earnestly to Benjy Flitwick.

" Go Mary" Lily said smiling proudly.

" Well let's get a compartment and then she can join us when she's _done_ " Marlene said a wide smile crossing her face.

" Promise you won't tease her" Doe said pushing Marlene slightly on the arm.

" Oh I won't" Marlene said her mouth curving into a devilish smile, " Well at least not too badly".

" HEY THERE MACDONALD" Marlene yelled at her.

Mary turned to her and narrowed her eyes angrily, waving her away.

" Looks like we better get out of here, or face Mary's wrath" Marlene laughed swinging her arms around Doe's and Lily's neck.

They walked towards the train, it was three minutes to eleven and the platform was almost completely clear. They climbed the small step ladder onto the train and walked down the aisle searching for an open compartment. A large compartment near the very back of the train had the door swung open. Inside were James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter who had already seated themselves comfortably inside.

" Doe," Remus said seeing her through the window, " You guys can sit in here, there's plenty of room"

She smiled widely and then turned to Lily, knowing Marlene wouldn't have a problem with it.

" Please, Lily? Please?" She begged.

Lily rolled her eyes, " Fine" and followed her into the compartment.

Thrilled that she had gotten Lily to comply without much hesitation, Doe seated herself in between Remus and Sirius.

She watched as Marlene sat in the corner next to Sirius. not breaking eye contact with him.

Doe rolled my eyes, bothered that they were both being so obtuse about their feelings towards each other.

Lily avoided the open seat next to James and squished herself between Peter and the sliding door, brooding slightly.

" Nice to see you too, Evans" James said rolling his eyes.

" Oh I'm sorry, were you looking for a hello?" Lily asked angrily, " because I don't associate with you"

Doe sighed, letting her head drop onto Remus' shoulder.

" You know I like you, Evans" James said almost angrily, "so why not stop prolonging the process and go out with me"

Lily scoffed, obviously angry " Not if it was between you and a Slytherin"

James let out an exasperated noise, " and we all know how much you love the Slytherins"

" I'm not even friends with Severus anymore" Lily snapped, " you made sure of that"

" I didn't force him to call you that" James snapped back.

Doe could feel her face burning. Even throughout what happened last year, she had maintained a friendship with Severus, which was unsupported by everyone except Remus, who even though didn't like him agreed with why she was.

" Guys maybe you shouldn't yell" Peter started.

" Hush, Wormtail" James said quickly, " Snivellus has always been rotten, you're just mad because I knew it first"

" You're so thick!" Lily shouted angrily.

The compartment door opened and a drenched Mary strode in, she stopped when she saw James and Lily's angry expressions.

Mary smiled, " Wouldn't be a new year at Hogwarts without a Lily and James row" she said taking the empty spot next to James.

" Why are you late, Macdonald?" Sirius asked changing the conversation.

" Oh yes, Mary. Do tell" Marlene said with a wide grin on her face.

" Be quiet, Marley" Mary said running her fingers through her wet hair. She avoided Marlene's suggestive look.

" Mary and Benjy" Marlene hummed.

" You and Flitwick?" Peter asked quietly.

" Yes, what's wrong with Benjy?" Mary asked indignantly.

" Well nothing…" Peter said staring at the floor, " I just didn't know you liked him is all"

Mary shrugged, " It's not like there's tons of options".

" Unless you're me" Sirius said with his signature smile. " then girls throw themselves at you"

Marlene frowned slightly.

Doe turned to Remus, " We have weird friends".

Remus laughed, " That we do"

" Oi stop it you two" James said tossing a book at them.

Remus grabbed it and frowned, " Hey this is mine".

James smiled, " I forgot to give it back".

Slowly, the train began to move forward. The rain was still pouring so deeply that all they could see through the windows was flashes of gray through the vicious drops slamming against the window.

Luckily, sixth year prefects didn't have to go to the meetings, so Remus, Lily, and Doe were able to remain in their compartment.

After the lunch trolley came by and they all bought food from the trolley. They were all too tired to talk much. Peter was sketching a quidditch match on some spare parchment and Remus had taken to playing with a piece of hair that had fallen loose from Doe's ponytail.

" Did you hear that Xenophilius Lovegood is dating Pandora Narlus?" Marlene asked the group.

" Xeno Lovegood?" James asked, " that guy's a loon"

" Well Pandora's pretty odd herself" Mary said.

" She's a year behind us isn't she?" Peter asked.

Mary nodded, " She's a hufflepuff"

" Ew" Marlene said shaking her head.

" Not a fan of our colorful companions are we, Mckinnon?" Sirius asked, his legs stretched out in front of him practically reaching the other side of the compartment.

" Not particularly" Marlene said.

" No hufflepuff hate, some of them are really nice" Doe told Marlene.

She shrugged, " I never said they weren't nice, they're just a little irrelevant"

" Maybe it's by choice" Remus said, " you can't be anyone's enemy if you're not on their radar"

" Good point Moony" James said.

" I have them occasionally" Remus said opening the book.

" Remember when Moony used to be more shy and quiet?" Sirius said longingly.

" Yes back before any dark-haired girls expressed any interest in him" James said with a smile.

" Oh be quiet" Remus said blushing red.

James and Sirius roared with laughter. Doe made eye contact with Remus for a minute and winked reassuringly at him.

He turned back to the book he had just opened, a smile on his face.

" Doe did you ever end up finding that Puddlemore United shirt you lost?" Sirius asked casually.

She frowned, " No I didnt. I can't imagine where it went either-" she stopped short seeing the grin on his face.

" You took it! I knew it, give it back" Doe demanded.

Sirius burst into a roar of laughter, " I have had it for a month now, I'm quite shocked it took you this long to figure it out"

" We are no longer friends" Doe said crossing my arms.

" Yes we are," Sirius said matter of factly, " you'd be lost without me"

She rolled my eyes, " You are _so_ full of yourself"

" This is true" Marlene agreed.

" Sorry Padfoot, but they're right" James added.

Sirius just flicked the hair out of his face, " Well when you've got it….."

The rain made the trip feel longer than it was. When they eventually pulled into the Hogsmeade station it was still pouring rain. The carriages that took the older students to the students sat parked in the rain, small umbrellas propped on top of them. Seeing as they only sat four, Doe followed Mary, Marlene and Lily into the nearest one, and they all crowded under the umbrella, still getting wet from the water coming down on the sides.

" I feel bad for the first years" Doe said as the cart bumped down the Hogsmeade streets. If they thought this was bad, they couldn't imagine getting to the school drenched from the boat ride.

The carriages all pulled up to the gate, where Argus Filch was standing guard.

A ghastly pink umbrella with ruffles was held over his head, and in his hands he clutched a foul looking kitten, who did not look like it was enjoying being outside in the rain, even if under the cover of an umbrella.

They all ran to the front doors, stumbling into the castle and into the great hall.

They were all soaked, everyone who had avoided getting wet on the ride to Hogwarts was drenched from the run to the castle.

Doe looked up at the Great Hall sky. It was storming, every so often getting bright flashes of lightning darting across it.

" I am freezing" Marlene complained as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

Doe nodded, " Me too".

She wrung her hair out. Her robes felt extremely heavy from the water they were drenched in.

" You guys look so uncomfortable" Emmeline Vance said from further down the table with the seventh years.

" Why did you get so wet?" Katie Spinnet, another Gryffindor 7th year asked.

Surprisingly none of the seventh years looked even damp.

" It's raining" Marlene said plainly, " Why aren't you wet?"

Katie smiled, " Oh we cast a water repelling spell. I think you'll learn about them this year"

Marlene waited until Katie turned back to Emmeline and rolled her eyes.

The Marauders walked in a minute later, soaking wet they sat down next to them at the table.

" Who's that bloke at the staff table?" Sirius asked Doe.

She looked up to see where he was pointing. Seated in between Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick was a tall red-haired man. He was large, he seemed to tower of Professor McGonagall.

His hair hung to his shoulders and he looked frightening in the leather jacket he was wearing.

" I dunno" Doe told him.

" Professor Gibbons is missing" Lily said, " look".

Sure enough the defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Gibbons was not seated at the staff table.

" Good, " Sirius said, " he was a bloody awful teacher"

" He wasn't awful" Doe said, but truthfully, he had never really taught them anything.

" Maybe that's his replacement" Remus said gesturing to the unidentified red-headed man.

" Aw look the sorting!" Lily said pointing to the group of first years lined up at the entrance.

Doe looked up to see McGonagall placing the sorting hat on the stool and taking out the parchment containing the student's names.

The whole hall quieted to watch.

Each of the first years that approached the sorting hat looked terrified. Doe wondered silently if she had looked that nervous.

Some were sorted quickly, other's took longer. One boy, Benjamin Turtlebomb took almost five minutes of deliberation before joining them at the Gryffindor table.

When 'Zaxil, Thomas" was sorted into Ravenclaw, McGonagall picked up both the sorting hat and the hat and moved them away from the floor.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and was met with an uproar of clapping. Dumbledore smiled slightly.

" Welcome back students! And to our new students, Welcome! I am so glad to see all of you here. This year will be an interesting one for Hogwarts. I know you would all like to enjoy the feast, but before you do, we have some news. Our beloved Professor Gibbons has decided to retire from his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and while he will be sorrily missed, we are happy to introduce Professor Bilius Weasley, who has joined us as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher"

Professor Dumbledore gestured to the redheaded man at the staff table who had just stood up.

Everyone clapped, and Arthur Weasley, a Gryffindor 7th year stood, clapping loudly and telling anyone who would listen ' that's my brother'.

As soon as everyone sat down and stopped clapping, the feast appeared on the table.

Most of the conversation in the hall was about our new defense teacher,

" I wonder if he's any good?"

" Probably not, they never are"

" Arthur must be pleased"

" I just really hope we learn something"

" And that he doesn't give too much homework"

Doe took a bite of the roasted chicken from her plate. She, like everyone else, hoped that Professor Weasley would be good. They hadn't had a good defense teacher in so long. Most of their learning came from out of the book.

Sirius had attracted quite the audience at their table, he was bewitching one of the chickens to dance. The first years were practically in tears.

" You know he may actually be 12" Remus said to Doe, shaking his head.

She nodded, " He has the maturity of a first year".

"You guys spent a lot of time together this summer, surely you think more of him than last year" Remus said.

She nodded, " He's more like he was before Hogwarts"

" I suspect it was dealing with his parents, that changes people" Remus said.

" Well I'm glad. He can be a really good friend" Doe told him.

Remus rolled his eyes, " I've been telling you this for months"

She grinned, " I'm stubborn".

Remus laughed, " Well that's for sure".

" Watch it Lupin" she said dipping her finger in the frosting of the chocolate cupcake in front of him.

" You have a problem"she said putting a dip of icing on his nose.

" I like chocolate, " Remus said sheepishly.

" Doe," Lily said. She turned to her.

" What's up Lil?"

" I don't want to worry you or anything," she said, " but Rabastan Lestrange is staring at you"

Doe followed her gaze to see Rabastan Lestrange, two tables away.

When he caught her gaze, he winked and waved at her.

Scowling, she turned back to face Lily, " He is foul".

In the front of the hall, Dumbledore rose again, and subsequently silenced the room again.

" I just have a few things to discuss with all of you before you leave. As I know most of you know. The recent attack in Diagon Alley have forced all wizarding locations to be more aware. The ministry has asked me to let all of you know, that now more than ever is the need to be more aware of your surroundings. Don't leave the castle alone, and report any suspicious behavior. But I must implore you to get a good night's sleep, for those of you have Professor McGonagall's class in the morning may be in far worse danger"

Everyone in the hall laughed and Professor McGonagall pursed his lips in a way to suggest that they would all be writing essays tomorrow.

" So welcome back students, I wish you all fantastic year" Dumbledore said brandishing his wand and allowing the large oak doors of the great hall to open.

Everyone got up and headed towards their common rooms. The new prefects directed the first years up the staircase towards Gryffindor tower.

Lily and Doe trailed behind them, climbing in the portrait hole right behind them.

" Would you look at this!" One of the tiny first years exclaimed looking at the massive common room.

Doe and Lily walked around them and climbed their staircase up to the sixth floor.

" We will be too exhausted to actually get to our dormitories by the time we are seventh years" Lily said opening the door.

" There you are!" Marlene exclaimed.

" What took you so long?" Mary asked.

Alice who was sitting on the edge of her bed waved happily.

" We got stuck behind the first years" Doe said taking her usual bed by the window.

Lily sat down on the one beside her.

" Do you realize we are sixth years?" Lily asked climbing on the edge of her bed, " Next year is our last year".

" I don't even want to think about that" Doe said falling back against her pillows.

" Guys, promise me we'll still be friends when we leave here" Lily said .

" Of course we will Lily, you can't shake us that easily" Doe told her.

" I don't know about you guys," Marlene said, " But I am being a bridesmaid in the Evans Potter wedding".

" HA!" Lily said, " like I would ever marry James!"

Marlene laughed and sat back on her bed.

" You never know Lily" Mary said with a wink.

Lily rolled her eyes, " Yes I do" and she climbed back onto her bed.

And with one flick of her wand, she extinguished the light.


	19. Ch 19 The Sixth First Day

19

The Sixth First Day

" You look tired, " Remus said to Doe as they walked down to the Great Hall the next morning.

" I didn't sleep very well" she told him.

It was true, she kept waking up all night. And every time she fell asleep, she would wake up again.

" She was tossing and turning all night" Marlene said.

" Yeah she kept mumbling things in her sleep" Mary added.

" Funny, I didn't hear anything" Lily said.

" You are such a heavy sleeper that someone could have come in and murdered us all and you would have kept sleeping" Marlene told her.

Doe held Remus' hand tighter, " Well now that my friend shave informed you of what a sleep terror I am. Let's move on shall we?"

Marlene laughed.

" Hey Mckinnon" Sirius said catching up to her. He was followed closely by James, and Peter who was trailing behind them.

" Yeah, Black?" Marlene asked, her eyes fluttering slightly.

Marlene had informed Doe this morning that she was going back to plan B, she was going to play hard to get with Sirius until he asked her.

They walked into the Great Hall, and sat down in their usual spots.

" Your button is undone Mckinnon" Sirius said with a slight smile.

" I'm very aware of that" Marlene said and winked quickly.

Doe almost choked on her pumpkin juice. She wasn't the only one who found the situation funny. Mary and Lily were both avoiding Marlene's glance, as they were practically bursting with laughter.

" Hey Lily" Amos Diggory said as he walked by.

" Oh, Hi Amos" Lily said waving enthusiastically.

Doe saw James' expression sadden for a moment. Lily looked very pleased that Amos had said hello. Doe couldn't blame her. Amos Diggory was easily the most attractive boy in Hufflepuff and he was nice enough.

He seemed like a good choice for Lily, even though Doe secretly thought the best person for Lily was a certain messy haired, glasses wearing Gryffindor.

" Please review your schedules and make sure there is no problem" McGonagall said coming down the table and passing out parchment to everyone.

Doe sighed, she had a few free periods but her schedule was still quite full. In order to become an auror, she needed Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms.

The first class she had today was Defense Against the Dark Arts, with the Ravenclaws.

" At least we don't have to deal with the Slytherins" Sirius said observing their schedules.

They all finished up breakfast and headed up to the Defense classroom.

The door was locked so they all stood around waiting for Professor Weasley to unlock it.

" I'm quite excited for this, what about you?" Xeno Lovegood asked while they were waiting.

" I can't wait" Marlene said sarcastically.

" Well I'm excited" Doe said over her.

After a minute, Professor Weasley strode out into the hallway and unlocked the door, grunting a quick

" come in".

They all took our seats. Doe sat down with Lily at one of the double desks. They took out their books and sat waiting.

Professor Weasley took a deep breath and strode out in front of the class.

" I've never taught a class before" he said, " but I do however know what I'm talking about"

He began walking up and down the aisles, " This year you will be learning about the Dark Arts and their nature as well how to defend yourself against them. This class will prepare you for the real world and the dangers that reside within it, and in the current climate, that can only help you. So today we will not be bothering with books, we are going to be doing a practical lesson today"

Professor Weasley took out his wand and waved it. All of the desks flew to either side of the room clearing an open space in the classroom.

" Partner up, and wands out!" he ordered.

Lily and Doe stood next to each other, wands in hand. She watched as Marlene and Mary, Sirius and James, and Remus and Peter also partnered up.

" Now one a wizard's most rudimentary skills is the skill of non-verbal spells. It allows you an upper hand against your enemies, and frankly it saves a hell of a lot of time".

Professor Weasley strode around the room again, his arms behind his back.

" Now I want you and your partner to practice jinxing each other with nonverbal spells"

Lily and Doe faced each other.

Doe held her wand out and tried to focus, she was trying to do the body bind jinx on Lily, but non-verbal spells were very difficult to master.

She stared at her shouting 'Petrificus Totalus' in her head for five minutes, practically purple in the face.

" Breathe" Professor Weasley ordered walking by them.

Doe took a deep breath. Lily had the same concentrated look on her face.

" Not as easy as you'd think huh?" Professor Weasley asked, " well I suggest you try and master it early, because I suspect the other professor's will be expecting it in their classes"

They kept trying for another half hour, by the end of it she had managed to do it once and Mary had become quite good at it.

" Good work Gryffindors, take 10 points" Professor Weasley said.

Mary smiled brightly.

Doe concentrated again and watched as a few others in the class were managing to get it.

" I think you've all done enough today" Professor Weasley shouted to the class, " Next class we will be doing a lecture but another practical lesson following that"

They gathered their things and left the room. They were all talking at once.

" What a great lesson!"

" That's the best defense class I think we've ever had!"

" I really enjoyed that" Doe told Lily as they walked down the stairs.

" I did too" Lily said, " but I really want to master non-verbal spells. I suck at it"

" You don't suck" Doe assured her, " they're really hard".

They continued walking back towards the common room to enjoy their free period.

" OH LOOK OUT ICKLE STUDENTS PEEVSY HAS QUITE THE FUN FOR YOU" Peeves shouted flying through the air above their heads dropping water balloons all around them.

Some of the Ravenclaw girls behind them shrieked and held books above their heads. Doe and Lily darted down the staircase quickly, avoiding most of Peeves' air attack.

Slowly, they all got back into the routine of being at Hogwarts. The classes were getting even harder. It seemed as if after they had all passed their O.W.L's the teachers had decided they were capable of handling more work, and their coveted free periods were being used to catch up on the massive amounts of homework they were being assigned. ]

Non-verbal spells were also being asked of them in almost all of their classes. Last week, Professor Flitwick had taught them an entire lesson on summoning charms only to tell them that they would only be allowed to perform the incantation, non-verbally. Now, every night in the common room there was at least one student who was standing in the black, lips closed shut trying to move an object towards them.

But the massive amount of Homework wasn't deterring the Gryffindor quidditch team from beginning their search for their new players. Two of the chasers has graduated last year, leaving two spots to fill on the team.

" I think I'm going to try out" Marlene had announced one night in our dormitory.

" For the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" Doe asked in disbelief.

Marlene nodded quickly, " Yup."

" But you hate activities" Lily said.

" You don't even like going to the games" Mary added.

" That's because I get bored" Marlene told them, " I wouldn't be bored if I was playing"

" Are you good?" Lily asked.

Marlene raised an eyebrow, " I have six older brother's, it's practically genetic"

So now, early on the first saturday back, Lily, Mary and Doe trudged their way down to the quidditch pitch to support Marlene.

There was a collection of about twenty people, not counting the team, gathered on the field.

Marlene's golden head was easily distinguishable among everyone else.

They climbed up the spectator towers and sat down, pulling their sweaters around them to distract from the slight autumn breeze.

A few minutes before it began, Remus and Peter joined them on the tower.

" I didn't know Marlene was trying out" Peter said, noticing her on the field.

" Neither did we until yesterday" Lily added.

" Well I hope she gets it" Remus added.

They all sat and watched as Sirius, James, and the rest of the team began running drills, having the players fly around the stadium and catch the quaffle at random intervals.

Slowly, James began weeding them out cutting the number down to 10 in the first hour, and five in the second. Lily, Mary, and Doe sat still, their intention spans slowly dwindling.

" How long can this possibly go on?" Doe asked Remus.

Remus shrugged, " Knowing James he won't choose until he's sure"

She scooted closer to him on the bench and watched Marlene on the field. She looked quite happy to be one of the remaining five.

She still couldn't believe that she still looked decent after all of that. Her hair was still securely fastened on her head in its ponytail and instead of sweating she seemed to glisten. She looked like an ad for Quidditch.

After another half hour, it came down to three people. Marlene, Emmeline Vance, and a fourth year boy named Rupert. James and Sirius ran a practice round and eliminated Rupert, leaving Emmeline and Marlene as the new additions to the team.

Beaming, Marlene ran over to her friends on the stands.

" I told you guys I could do it" she said proudly, broom in hand.

" I'm proud Marley" Doe told her.

She smiled again, " I'm going to go let Sirius congratulate me, see you in the common room", and she ran off back towards the direction of the pitch.

" She is too much" Mary said shaking her head.

" She and Sirius are so obviously into each other but they are both too prideful to admit it" Lily observed.

" Well they should" Peter said, " It would make all of our lives easier"

They looked down to the Pitch where Sirius and Marlene were talking enthusiastically.

" They're both so stubborn" Doe noticed.

" Like someone else we know" Remus said putting his arm around her.

It wasn't long before the first quidditch match approached them. James and Sirius had been making the team practice three nights a week and Marlene kept coming up to the dormitory very late and very exhausted.

" We'd better win" Marlene said plopping herself on her bed late Friday night.

The first match was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and the Slytherin team was very good this year.

James and Sirius looked very nervous the morning of the first match, though they kept insisting that Gryffindor was beyond prepared.

Everyone headed to the Pitch early, anxious to get good seats. Remus had gotten sick the night before so it was just Doe, Mary, and Lily sitting together today.

" Do you think Marlene's nervous?" Lily asked Doe.

" I would be," Doe told her, " but Marlene has always been very confident"

" She'll probably be the best player out there" Mary said.

" or at least insist she was" Lily said with a laugh.

They watched as the stand began filling up quickly. All of Hogwarts had turned up for the first game of the season, even the teachers stand was packed full. She watched as McGonagall took a seat next to Professor Slughorn, looking slightly displeased but brandishing a Gryffindor scarf in support.

Doe clutched one side of the poster we had made for Marlene. They had used an old set of sheets and written 'McKinnon for the Winnin' in scarlet lettering across the front.

They all sat very still, anxiously waiting for the game to begin. After a few more minutes of waiting both teams flew out onto the field. Doe and Mary stood shouting, holding up the sign. They saw Marlene catch a glimpse of it and laugh loudly.

The game began, and it was a very fast-paced game. The quaffle kept moving in and out of different players hands and it seemed as if every time one of the teams scored, the opposite team did as well. The scores kept changing but both teams were never more than 10 points apart. Doe watched as Marlene scored her third point of the game, she was actually doing quite well.

The Slytherin beater had just launched a bludger at Ludo Bagman and almost knocked him off his broom. James was sitting on his broom high above the other players, obviously keeping a watchful eye out for the snitch.

Sirius sent a bludger at the beater who had knocked Ludo, and watched as he spun off in the opposite direction.

Marlene was looking very irritated at this point. The game kept ending up tied. Doe watched closely as Marlene got the quaffle and dove past the Slytherin to score another goal, putting them in the lead.

" Yes, go Mckinnon!" James shouted. He stopped instantly when he saw something gold flash by his face.

The snitch blew past James and headed towards the other side of the field, where the Slytherin seeker Yaxley was waiting.

It was like Doe was watching it in slow motion. Yaxley dove forward and held up his hand. Clasped in between his bony fingers was the twitching golden snitch.

The Slytherin's burst into loud cheer, and the Gryffindors all let out a collective sigh. Losing a quidditch match was bad enough, but losing to Slytherins was the worst because they never let you forget it.

" Poor Marlene" Mary said.

" It's really rotten luck" Lily agreed.

Doe folded up the sign they had made, figuring they could use it again for the next match.

" I'm sure she'll be okay," Doe told them, " she played really well"

They all headed back to the to the common room. It was awhile before the team arrived. They all came in looking very tired and extremely defeated.

" Well, that was bloody awful" Marlene said dropping herself into a chair.

" You were good!" Doe told her.

Marlene made a face at her and brought her legs to her chest, " They never lose, they're going to think it's my fault"

" I doubt it, Marls" Lily said, " You did awesome"

Marlene sighed, " Sirius is never going to like me now".

Mary, Lily and Doe all shared a collective eye roll.


	20. Ch 19 12 The Great Revenge

19 1/2

The Great Revenge

Two weeks after they lost the match to Slytherin, someone had flooded the Slytherin common room. Apparently, the water was a foot high and the spell was cast so well that Slughorn himself was having trouble reversing it. So everyday for a week, The Slytherins walked around with soaked uniforms up to their knees and permanent scowls on their faces.

It had the Marauders written all over it. Doe knew Remus was involved because of the complexity of the spell, but so far he hadn't commented on it.

She was walking with Sirius to Transfiguration one day, a fews days after the discovery of the flooded common room, and he wouldn't admit to it.

" I don't know what you're talking about" Sirius said smiling smugly.

" Uh huh, sure you don't." she said rolling her eyes at him.

He had been denying having anything to do with prank since it happened, but they both knew he had done it.

" I know you better than that, Sirius" Doe told him.

Sirius laughed loudly, " Well then you know I'll never admit to it".

She was about to make a witty remark, when someone walked in front of them.

Regulus Black was standing in front of them, blocking them from passing through the corridor. Like the rest of the Slytherins, the bottom half of his robes were soaked.

" Real mature, Sirius" he snapped, " this prank just shows how childish you are"

" You need to calm down, Regulus" Sirius said bravely, " I'm not the only one who can't stand all you Slytherins"

Regulus made a face at Sirius, his eyes were black with anger.

" You are so ungrateful" Regulus snapped, " you should be proud of your Slytherin heritage, but no instead you run away from home and brandish your Gryffindors colors like it's an honor"

" Being a Gryffindor is an honor, compared to being a Slytherin like you" Sirius pointed out.

Regulus narrowed his eyes, " The family is so disappointed in you, look at what you're doing with your life. and who you're spending your time with" his eyes landed on Doe.

" I don't give a damn what any of the family thinks" Sirius snapped at him.

" You know how mother feels about her and her family" Regulus said still looking at Doe.

" You can go, Regulus." Sirius snapped, " I don't want anything to do with you or the rest of our bloody family"  
Regulus cast one more angry glance at Sirius and then strode off angrily.

" He's really upset" Doe said, watching as he stomped off down the hallway.

Sirius shrugged, " I'm sure my mother filled his head with all kinds of things after I left".

" Like her plain distaste for me" she said with a bitter tone.

" You really care what Walburga Black thinks of you" Sirius said stopping to raise an eyebrow at her.

" Well no.." she said

" Nobody cares what she thinks except her" Sirius said as they walked into the Transfiguration room.

Remus was already seated at the desk that they shared.

" There you are, I was beginning to think you weren't coming" Remus said.

She smiled, " Doe Meadowes doesn't skip classes".

Remus smiled, " Doe Meadowes has never skipped a class"

Professor McGonagall strode into the room her green robe billowing behind her.

" Today," she said, " we will be taking notes. Were going to be discussing Animagi"

Remus stifled a laugh. She heard James and Sirius snicker behind them as well.

" Did I miss something funny?" she asked Remus.

He shook his head quickly, his hand still covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Doe turned back to McGonagall.

" Animagi are wizards who can transform themselves into a specific animal at will. This is very complicated magic that very few wizards can master. And as such, the ministry requires all wizards who are animagi to register"

McGonagall stood at the front of the room and instantly threw herself forward. Instead of a woman, sat a small calico cat with markings around it's eyes.

She stared at the cat which was obviously McGonagall, fascinated. The cat walked down the aisle and then turned around walked back towards the desk, jumping into the air.

Mid-jump, the cat transformed back into Professor McGonagall.

Everyone clapped loudly. It was such a fantastic bit of magic.

Seemingly satisfied with the reaction that her performance had received, Professor McGonagall began writing the rest of the notes on Animagi on the board. It was such a fascinating concept.

After we had filled two rolls of parchment on the topic, we were finally dismissed.

" That was such an interesting lesson" Doe told Remus as we left the classroom.

" Animagi are fascinating" Remus said.

" I hear they're quite good looking too" Sirius said with a smile.

" What are you talking about?" Marlene asked.

Sirius shook his head laughing slightly, " Nothing".

They headed downstairs and to the outside of the castle towards the greenhouses.

Professor Sprout had put a vicious looking plant at every table of four, along with what looked like an arsenal of tools.

Doe sighed, knowing that this plant was not going to be easy.

" What are the chances that it's harmless and easy to dissect?" Lily asked.

" About as good as the chance as you marrying James" Mary said eyeing the plant sadly.

They all sat down and listened to Professor Sprout's instructions, slicing the plant's stem with a fine razor and then waiting for a large hole to open up at it's base.

" That's it you've got!" She shouted, " Now reach in there and collect your pod!".

Bravely, Doe plunged her arm into the hole of the plant. It closed above her elbow, clinging tightly to her arm, she grasped the pod in her trapped hand and waited as Lily and Marlene sliced another stem and the hole opened again.

Doe yanked her arm back out and put the pod in the bowl in front of them.

" Now squeeze all of the goop out!" Quickly Now!"

Marlene's face crumpled in disgust as she squeezed the contents out of the pod.

" I change my mind, I don't want to be a sixth year" she said pushing the bowl of towards Mary.

" Well you won't make it to be a seventh year with that attitude" Professor Sprout said taking the pod remnants away from them.


	21. Ch 20 Halloween

20

The Forbidden Halloween

The year progressed further. They were all beginning to not only settle into our routines but they were somehow managing to find time to the massive amount of work that was always being assigned.

As October came and passed, the air got chillier. On the morning of Halloween, a cold wind blew through the corridors of the castle from the open doors.

Doe sat down in the great hall, and noticed that someone, presumably Hagrid had placed tons of massive Jack-o-Lanterns all over the great hall and had strung large cobwebs across every corner.

It looked like something out of a book.

" Aw the Great Hall looks wonderful!" Lily said staring at all of the decorations.

Doe sat down and put a slice of toast on her plate, she was starving.

" It really does" Alice said sitting down next to her friend Molly, the seventh year.

" I'm so hungry" Mary said scooping a pile of eggs onto her plate. Marlene sat quietly, she had been woken up earlier than she had wanted so she was practically asleep at the table.

" What do you think that they're doing over there?" Lily asked.

" Who?" Doe asked turning to see where she was looking. She was pointing further down the table. All four marauders sat, heads close together deep in whispered conversation.

" They're planning something" Lily said unblinking.

" A prank, I'm sure" Doe said to her.

Lily continued to stare at them. Doe couldn't help it, she looked back at them too, insanely curious.

Remus looked up for a second and caught her eye. He winked quickly and turned back to Sirius who had started whispering quickly.

A few minutes later, a loud noise made them all seem to turn around. Some of the Slytherins at their table and began coughing loudly.

" Ew, what is in this?" Bellatrix asked holding her pumpkin juice.

" It tastes disgusting!" Elizabeth said pushing hers away. All of the other Slytherins were coughing and pushing their pumpkin juice away.

" Pepper in their pumpkin juice?" Arthur Weasley asked James with a smile.

James smiled widely, " Happy Halloween from the Gryffindors"

All of the Slytherins had gotten up from their table and left the Great Hall, obviously thinking all of their food had been tampered with.

" Brilliant you guys" a third year said walking by clapping Sirius on the back.

Sirius stood up on his chair.

A few of the teachers, McGonagall included, eyed him curiously.

" Members of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw" Sirius began, " we now have a Slytherin free breakfast, Enjoy."

The rest of the great hall burst into loud appreciation, as no one particularly enjoyed the Slytherin's presence.  
" They can be so thick" Lily said shaking her head.

" I mean it was kind of funny" Marlene pointed out.

" Rude" Lily corrected," and it had to have broken a least a dozen school rules"

Doe ignored Lily's musings. As much as she sometimes hated to admit it, the Marauders pranks we often needed to bring levity to the situation.

While most of the students had turned back to their food, the owls came swarming in to deliver the morning post.

A set of sleek brown prophet owls dropped prophets in front of those who subscribed. One fell onto my Doe's lap. She unrolled it carefully and almost gasped when she saw the front page.

Mass Ministry Murders: You-Know-Who Suspected

5 Ministry officials have been found murdered in their homes last night. All five were found murdered by the unforgivable killing curse. Each home had a Dark Mark in the sky above the murder and only had one casualty. Among the dead were heads of five ministry departments including Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, Regulation of Magical Creatures, Magical Cooperation, Mysteries, and International Affairs. It is suspected that the deaths were caused by You-know-who and his followers. Readers are advised to be cautious.

There were many shocked expressions across the room suggested that everyone was reading the cover story. Murders of ministry officials meant that You-Know-Who was gaining even more power than Doe had thought. If even the ministry was being attacked than the situation was proving to be even more serious than she had thought.

Up at the teacher's high table, the article had obviously sparked conversation. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall hurried from the hall.

" Well this isn't good" Sirius said taking the prophet from Doe to read the headline.

" If he's attacking the ministry, You-Know-Who must be getting stronger" James said reading the paper and running his hand through his hair.

" I'm sure it's being investigated" Remus said, noticing Doe's worried expression.

" Hopefully" James said, looking less sure of the statement.

The rest of the day passed by slowly. In charms they learned how to do a festive spell which instantly carved pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.

By the time they got to Potions they were very tired, and bored with the day.

Potions was the only class they shared with the Slytherins, and it usually put a damper on their day.

Today they were working on a new potion that Slughorn had deemed appropriate only for 6th years and above.

" It's quite challenging" Slughorn had said, " so I'll be pairing all of you up"

Doe listened as he paired up the groups, they had an uneven amount of students so the final group had three people in it, and Doe sighed when she heard who her group consisted of,

" Sirius, Doe, and Severus"

She saw Sirius set his jaw together, and Severus had an almost murderous grin.

She couldn't imagine a worse collection of people to put together. Severus and Doe had maintained a casual friendship since last year, often studying together, but she was the only Gryffindor who still talked to him, and Sirius seemed to have a particular hatred for him.

It made it quite uncomfortable for Doe since she was friends with both of them.

Sirius was very tense as they walked over to Severus' table.

" I hate him" he whispered to her quickly before they got there.

" Be nice" she snapped back.

Sirius narrowed his eyes and said " It couldn't of been you, me and James or Remus? No that would've been _too_ easy", he rolled his eyes.

" Hey Severus," Doe said walking over to the table he sat with a cauldron.

" Hello Doe" he said and his eyes landed on Sirius, scowling.

" Okay" she said loudly standing in between them, " Let's start making this okay? It looks difficult"

She opened the book to the correct page, there were a lot of very specific directions that had to be followed precisely.

Mainly, she just talked to both Sirius and Severus separately and only to have them hand her something or stir the potion.

" Sirius, can you hand me 12 beetles?" she asked.

Sirius reached for the the container of beetles.

" It needs thirteen beetles" Severus said.

" The book says twelve" Sirius snapped.

" Well it needs thirteen" Severus said angrily.

" Oh you think you know more than the book do you?" Sirius asked.

" It needs thirteen, If you studied you would know that" Severus snapped back at him.

Sirius stood up from the chair. Severus rolled his eyes.

" Okay let's just put twelve because that's what the book says, okay?" Doe told Severus trying to diffuse the tension.

" Doe, it needs thirteen, it's just like when we had to edit the veritaserum recipe-" Severus started.

" She just said we're doing twelve" Sirius said cutting him off.

" Will you shut it, Black" Severus snapped.

" Me? Why don't you shut it, Snivellus" Sirius snapped.

" I swear I'll-" Severus started.

" What? What will you do?" Sirius asked. Both of them were standing wands drawn.

" Stop it, both of you" Doe demanded, " will you both just calm down?"

Many of the other groups were looking at them now. James and Remus looked like they were about to step in, and over by the Slytherin table Yaxley and Lucius Malfoy were scowling at Sirius.

" Any trouble over here?" Professor Slughorn asked, an eyebrow raised.

" No, Sir" Doe told him with a small smile.

" Okay, Ms. Meadowes" Slughorn said slightly warningly and walked away.

Doe eyed both Sirius and Severus dangerously and they both quieted. They sat in silence for the rest of the class, while she added the rest of the ingredients.

By the end, the potion worked but not effectively. Only Mary and Lily's group had produced an effective potion.

" That was not nice" Doe told Sirius as they were leaving.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " I never said I'd be nice"

" It looked like you were having fun" Remus said smiling as they walked towards the common room.

" Oh yes, loads" she said sarcastically.

" Slughorn threw you into the lions cage with that group" Remus commented.

" Well someone didn't behave themselves" she said loudly enough for Sirius, who was walking a little ahead with James, to hear.

Sirius turned around, " Sorry beautiful, but I couldn't take five more minutes of that Snivelling git"

Doe turned back to Remus, " He made it worse"

" It's not my fault that you sympathize with _it_ " Sirius said scowling.

" I don't really understand that either" Lily said from the other side of her.

Doe turned to Remus, " I'm being attacked".

" Don't worry" he said reassuringly, " I still like you".

" Oh I like her" Lily said, " just not the company she keeps"

Doe rolled her eyes, " Alright enough, let's talk about something else"

They all crawled through the portrait hole and into the common room.

Marlene complained loudly that she was exhausted, so Mary, Lily and Doe went upstairs with her and just sat on their beds, talking until it was time for the feast.

Hours later, the four of them decided to head down to the Great Hall for the feast. The Halloween feast was one of the things that Doe most looked forward to at Hogwarts, it was always such a great celebration.

When they walked into the great hall, music was pouring in from some large ornate looking player in the corner and the tables were covered in the most delicious looking food, that I had ever seen.

" Oh look caramel apples" Mary said as they sat down.

They all began eating, the topic of discussion amongst the older students drifted towards a new relationship that had developed in Slytherin.

" Yeah Bellatrix was all over Rodolphus Lestrange this morning" Emmeline said surely.

" Really? Bellatrix?" Otto Bagman asked, looking shocked, " She's so.."

" Skanky" Marlene offered.

" Damn, settle down Marlene" James said watching her face contort with anger.

" I don't like her" Marlene said taking a bite of the delicious food in front of her.

" You've made that quite apparent" Mary assured her.

" Well, she's awful" Marlene said, " and Doe hates her even more than me"

" Yes, but I'm not as blatant about it" Doe told her.

" I'm sure that I hate her more than both of you" Sirius told them.

" You win" she told him, accepting defeat.

All around the hall the houses were engaged in cheery conversation. It was very hard not to be festive with so much going on. Even at the high table, the teachers were all looking quite joyous. Except for Professor Weasley who was staring at the Divination teacher with a particularly strange look, he had just told him that he had seen the grim in his tea leaves.

Someone let out a quick laugh. A few people had figure out that if you touched your wand to the skeleton head centerpieces that were placed up and down the table, they made jokes and would cough out a small trinket. All over the hall, students were fascinated by the cheerful bit of magic and adorned with wizarding chess pieces, and witches hats that had come out of the mouth.

When they finished eating and we all headed out of the great hall.

" Guys come here" James said to Lily, Mary, Marlene, and Doe.

He was standing with the Marauders near one of the exits to the grounds.

" What, why?" Marlene asked.

" A little Halloween surprise" Sirius said with a wink.

Marlene grinned, " I'm in. What is it?"

" It's in the forbidden forest" James said.

Lily crossed her arms " No way, it's forbidden, Potter"

" It's Halloween, we're supposed to be scared" Peter pointed out.

" It's going to be fun" Sirius said, " who's in?"

" Not me," Lily said quickly, " I am not breaking school rules. You lot can go".

She cast one last irritated glance and stomped off.

" Lily" Doe called after her, but she just kept walking.

" Well, Meadowes? McDonald? What do you say?" Sirius asked.

Doe looked at Remus, " Are you going?".

" I was forced into it, but yes" he said.

" Come on Doe, Mary" Marlene said practically jumping up and down.

" Fine" Mary said agreeing. Peter smiled widely.

" Doe?" Remus asked.

" Alright" she said.

Sirius looked up and down the Hallway, it had cleared. The crowd from the Great Hall had dispersed.

" Come on, be quiet" Sirius said pushing the door to the grounds open. They all filed out the door.

They were breaking ten school rules. The forbidden forest was, after all forbidden.

As they walked down the grounds and approached the thick opening of the forest, Doe began to get nervous.

" I don't know if we should be doing this" she said stopping right in front of it.

" Moony, please talk to her" James said looking to Remus.

" If you don't want to go, we can go to back up to the school" Remus said reassuringly. He took her hand, stroking it with his thumb.

" No" she said taking a deep breath, " let's go".

Remus smiled and kept holding her hand. He squeezed it slightly.

The forest was darker than she had imagined, as they walked into it, they were immediately enveloped in a thick cluster of dark trees and underbrush. James, Sirius and Remus all had their wands lighted in front of them. Mary and Marlene were right next to them, practically clinging to each other. Doe held Remus' hand tighter. Every tiny sound in here scared her.

" So what kind of things live in here?" Marlene asked Sirius, her voice faltering a little.

" Lots of different kinds of things, I don't know them all" Sirius said.

" How many times have you been in here?" Doe asked Remus. Remus looked down.

" We've been in here a few times" James answered quickly for him.

They walked into the forest further. The clearer path that was there closer to the entrance was slowly disappearing and they kept having to duck underneath large branches.

They were walking straight ahead when something unidentifiable ran in front of them. It was a massive black shape and it passed so close to them, It almost touched them.

Marlene, Mary and Doe all screamed. Doe clung to Remus, her chest rising and falling in fear. He wrapped an arm around her.

" What the hell was that?" she asked.

" I dunno" he said staring in front of him.

" I'm a little scared" Mary admitted.

" It's not much further" James said.

" What isn't" Doe asked, but she didn't have too.

In front of them was a massive tree, almost the size of the Whomping Willow, but severely less vicious. Hanging from a few of the branches were small wooden swings.

" Wow" Doe said coming over to it.

" Did you guys do this?" Marlene asked plopping herself down onto one of the swings.

James shook his head, " We just found it".

Both Mary and Marlene sat down on one of the swings and began pumping their legs. Doe watched as they both began flying through the air, laughing as they did.

" Not a fan of heights?" Remus asked watching her worried expression.

She shrugged, " It's a little frightening".

" Do you want to walk a little, not too far?" he asked.

" Yeah, why not" she told him.

" We'll be right back" Remus called to the others and they drifted a little, walking deeper into the forest.

Remus stopped every so often to point to a place where he and the marauders had previously done something. The anecdotes were certainly interesting.

They kept walking, until it became so dark that even the light from the wand was only delivering a small light of exposed ground in front of them.

" You want to sit for a minute?" Doe asked him, stopping at a tree that's base was wide enough for both of them to lean against.

They sat down and stared at the dark expanse in front of them. There was a slight fog above them.

" You know, Doe, I don't know if I tell you this enough, but I'm really glad I have you" Remus said running his hand over hers.

She smiled, " Rem,"

" Sorry," he said quickly, " was that too sappy?"

" Not at all" she told him. She leaned over and pulled him closer to her. He held her face and began kissing her.

There was a loud noise that sounded like footsteps. She and Remus broke apart getting to our feet.

" Did you hear that?" she asked.

Remus nodded. She turned to look behind the tree and froze.

" Remus don't move" she said quickly.

He didn't.

" What is it?" he asked.

She didn't respond right away. Behind the tree was what looked like hundreds of spiders, twenty times the size of normal ones. Their eyes were black and they stared back at her with a ferocious look of hunger.

" Spiders, very big ones" Doe told him.

Remus slowly turned to see them too, and froze when he did.

He grabbed her hand and leaned in to whisper " run" in her ear. They took off quickly, running as fast as they could through the dark expanse of trees. She could hear them behind them running quickly.

Doe turned around wand pointed and shouted " stupefy!".

The stunning spell only hit the ones closest to them. They kept running, but she didn't see the stump in front of them. She stupidly tripped over it and fell to her knees. Remus stopped, helping her back to her feet. The spiders were inches from them. Their pincers clicking viciously. Remus stood in front of her, wand drawn.

But there were so many of them, more than either of them could handle. Remus' was breathing heavily, he still had his wand out, ready to try and fight them off.

Suddenly, something burst through the crowd of spiders, something white.

Very fearful, the spiders began to retreat, fleeing back into the deep forest.

Remus and Doe looked up at the creature that had stopped them. It had the body of white horse, but the the top half of a young man, about 18, with long dark hair.

A centaur.

" Thank you for saving us" Remus said quickly, " we didn't know what to do"

" Are you from the school?" The centaur asked.

Doe nodded, " Yes, we are"

" You should go" the centaur replied, " the forest is not safe for you".

" Well thank you again," Remus said extending his hand out to him.

He looked at it for a second, eyeing warily before shaking it.

" You should go" he said again, " they might come back" and with one fleeting look he took off, back into the deep of the forest from which he came.

Doe turned to Remus and he pulled her into a tight hug.

" You okay?" he asked.

She nodded quickly, " Are you?" she asked, holding his arm where his shirt had ripped.

" I'm fine," he assured me, " Let's go find the others"

They walked more quickly this time, back to the tree, where everyone else was, still chatting cheerfully. Sirius had his arm thrown casually around Marlene's shoulders.

" Bloody hell, what happened to you two" Sirius asked looking at their disheveled appearance. Doe ran her hand through her hair and pulled out a clump of leaves.

" Arachnids" Remus told him while he grabbed another twig from Doe's hair, " hundreds of them. They attacked us"

" How'd you make it out?" Peter asked, a look of intense fear on his face.

" A centaur saved us" Doe told them.

" A centaur!" James said loudly, " what're they like?"

" Later" Remus said looking behind him, " we should probably get out of here"

Sighing, everyone followed Remus down the path towards the school. The experience had scared her out of ever going back into the forest again. If those spiders were in there, who knew what else was.

They were approaching the school, they could see the light from the grounds. As they left the darkness of the forest and walked back onto the grounds, she felt a sense of relief.

The relief was short-lived.

Standing at the edge of the grounds, clutching the foul kitten, was Filch.

" My, we are in trouble, aren't we?" he said, a cold smile stretched on his face.

In the end, Filch had dragged all seven of them to Professor McGonagall who practically screamed at them.

" SEVEN GRYFFINDORS OUT OF BED AFTER HOURS AND IN THE FORBIDDEN FOREST. REALLY? WHY IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING SO UNSAFE. And really Ms. Meadowes, Mr. Lupin, you are prefects, I expected more from you"

McGonagall's shrill voice rang out loudly, and all of the Sixth years didn't look up from the floor.

She had given them all detention for the following night cleaning all of the trophies in the trophy room without magic, and taken a hundred points from Gryffindor.

When they told Lily all of this next morning in Charms, she looked very proud.

" You shouldn't have gone, you could have died" Lily said.

" It was fun though," Marlene told her.

" Less fun for me" Doe said darkly.

" She and Lupin went off to get all snuggly and they almost got eaten by spiders" Marlene told Lily.

Doe blushed deeply, and looked back down at the essay she was supposed to be writing.

" You were both okay though, right?" Lily asked.

" Yeah, we were fine" Doe told her, " we were saved by a centaur"

" I love centaurs" Lily said.

Amos Diggory looked over at her, from his table in the corner and smiled brightly.

Lily smiled back and color rose to her cheeks.

" You should just ask him out, Lily" Mary told her, "he's practically drooling"

Lily turned back to look at him again and then turned back to them, shaking her head.

The rest of the day went by very quickly and after dinner, the six of them waited outside the trophy room, Remus had gotten sick and couldn't go, for Filch. Who came over looking far too pleased to be observing.

" Don't you have something better to do?" Sirius asked him darkly.

Filch was sitting on a stool in the middle of the trophy room watching them scrub the trophies.

" I miss the old punishments" Filch said softly, " The old headmaster let me hang the rulebreakers by their ankles in the dungeons"

" What a cheery thought" James said sarcastically reaching for a large trophy to begin cleaning.

" Too bad Remus isn't here" Doe said to Sirius while they scrubbed one of the trophies.

" Yeah, but too bad his mom got sick" Sirius said.

Doe stopped wiping the trophy, " I thought he was sick"

James' eyes widened, " He is" he said, " Sirius must be mistaken"

Sirius nodded, " Come to think of it, it was Remus who was sick. I must've gotten confused"

Slightly confused herself, she turned back to the trophy that she was cleaning.

It was dull work. Really dull work. Without magic, it took several hours and they were only halfway through all the trophies.

It was one in the morning and they had just started on the other half of the room when Professor McGonagall walked by the open door.

" ARGUS!" She shouted angrily entering the room, " I told you not to keep them past midnight"

" Oh," Filch said in false confusion, " Is it past midnight already?"

McGonagall narrowed her eyes, " You can all go to bed now, I hope you've learned your lesson".

Excited that they were let off earlier than they had thought, they all scrambled out of the room and headed back to the common room, and dragged themselves off to bed.


	22. Chapter 2117th Year of Birth

21

17th Year of Birth

This year, the first Hogsmeade visit happened to fall on Doe's birthday. November 18th. It seemed nice to her, she would be able to go into the village and do something fun.

She was still sleeping when she felt someone sit on her legs.

She pulled one of her pillows over her head, just as she heard Lily chant " Happy Birthday Doe!"

" Five more minutes" she complained.

" Nope, wake up, We have celebrating to do" Lily said jumping up and down on her legs.

She pulled the pillow off of my bed and got up. Lily, Marlene and Mary were all sitting the edge of Lily's bed holding a present.

" Guys, you didn't have too" Doe told them.

Marlene rolled her eyes, " We wanted too"

" You only turn seventeen once" Mary said handing her a gift, it was a set of the most beautiful quills Doe had ever seen.

" Thank you so much, Mary" She told her pulling her into hug.

" Me next" Lily said impatiently.

Lily had gotten her an embossed copy of the 'Auror's guide' and Marlene had gotten her a leather bound journal with my name written in scarlet lettering.

" Thank you all so much" Doe said as she got dressed.

She had only been up for five minutes and she was already having fantastic birthday.

They all went downstairs and headed to the Great Hall. Most of the school was already up as they usually were on Hogsmeade visits.

They were serving pancakes today, Doe smiled happily as she placed a few fresh strawberries on top of hers.

" So what do you want to do today?" Lily asked brightly.

" I'm craving butterbeer, so the three broomsticks?" Doe asked.

" Sure" Lily nodded eagerly.

" Happy Birthday" someone whispered in her ear and kissed the top of her head.

She looked up to Remus sit down besides her.

" Hi" she said happily.

James, Sirius and Peter sat down on either side of the table beside him, looking pleased.

" Happy Birthday, Dork" Sirius said chipperly.

" Yes, Happy Birthday Doe" James and Peter echoed.

" Thank you, guys" she told them.

They finished breakfast and Doe walked out with Remus realizing the everyone else had disappeared.

" Where did they all go?" she asked looking behind her.

Remus shrugged, " They probably just went ahead to Hogsmeade"

She stared back puzzled again and then followed Remus out into the gate to leave Hogwarts.

" But first" Remus said, " I have a present for you"

" I don't need anything" Doe told him. She felt spoiled as it was already, she didn't need anything else

" But I want too" Remus said taking out a long box, " it's my right as a boyfriend"

He handed it to her and she opened it, gingerly. Inside resting on a velvet pillow was a thin gold necklace with a white teardrop shaped pearl at the end. She was speechless.

" Do you like it?" Remus asked.

" It's beautiful" she told him, picking it up to look closer at it.

" It was my grandmother's" Remus told her.

" Can you help me put it on?" she asked handing him the necklace. He nodded. She turned so that her back was to him. He gently moved her hair to her shoulder and placed the necklace around her neck. She touched it lightly.

" I love it so much" she told him.

Remus smiled, " I'm glad".

She leaned up to kiss him, and he stopped her pulling her into an empty area of the corridor.

To her surprise he held her there, his hands on her waist, kissing her with more enthusiasm than she had expected. They didn't often kiss like this, they were never alone enough. Remus held her closer to him and one of his hands knotted itself in her hair.

Doe grinned widely at him, when they broke apart, his face was slightly pink.

" So shall we go?" he asked taking her hand.

She took it, " You've been holding out on me" she told him.

He rolled his eyes slightly as they walked outside towards the entrance to Hogsmeade. It was a very cold day. A frigid wind kept blowing her hair back. She shivered slightly.

" Are you cold?" Remus asked, he shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and placed it over her shoulders.

" I don't want you to be cold" she told him as they began down the familiar path to Hogsmeade.

" Doe, I'm fine. Toasty warm" he said pulling at the sleeve of the sweater he was wearing.

She wrapped her arm around his waist leaned against him slightly.

" I wonder where everyone else got to" she said searching the streets of the village as they entered the village.

" I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find them" Remus said as they approached The three broomsticks. Remus opened the door for her and they went in.

She stopped in the doorway, a smile spread across her face. One of the booths had been taken over. There were scarlet and gold balloons tied to the top of it, and James, and Lily were trying to hang a banner that read ' HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOE'.

" Your side is too low, James!" Lily hissed trying to fix it, " bring it up higher!"

" Um guys, " Marlene said with slight laughter, " Look up".

Lily and James both turned around wide eyed.

" Happy birthday" James said weakly, just as Lily said " oh no we didn't finish yet!"

" Moony, you were supposed to distract her for longer" Sirius said coming over and putting a small cake on the table.

" You guys!" Doe cried looking at the whole set-up.

" You're legal now" Sirius said pulling her into a hug.

" I can't believe you all did this" she said sitting down at the table with them all.

" It was our pleasure" Lily said happily.

" You knew where they were the whole time" Doe said shoving Remus playfully.

He smiled, " I was supposed to keep you occupied"

" Well you didn't do it very long" Peter said.

" She has a short attention span" Remus said defensively, " it's very tricky"

She smiled widely, taking a sip of butterbeer.

About an hour, they were all full of butterbeer and birthday cake, walking around Hogsmeade.

It was turning out to be the perfect day. They walked over to the a large tree just past Zonko's joke shop, and sat down.

" I say," Sirius started, " to commemorate our dear Doe's day of birth, we all share our favorite memory of her".

Doe groaned loudly, " Must we?"

" Ooohhh" Marlene said sitting up, " I've got a good one"

" Don't do it, Marlene" Doe said eyeing her with a venomous look.

Marlene just smiled, " So this one time, Doe and Lily are over the summer and Doe gets this really stupid idea that we should go to a muggle park near my house, but it was closed when we got there, so we had to hop this giant metal gate, and Lily and I get over it fine, but when Doe is climbing it, her shorts get caught on the fence and she's just hanging there, and she couldn't get down, so she climbed out of them"

Everyone roared into a fit of laughter.

" Stop it" she said turning red, " That's quite a traumatic memory still".

Remus put his fist over his mouth to stop from laughing and ran one of his hands up my arm to comfort me.

" My favorite has to be when she hit Sirius" James said with a wide grin.

" Which time?" Peter asked.

" Good point, Wormtail" Sirius said, " Doe can be quite the bully"

" Me?" Doe demanded, " you called me Dorky for 10 years!"

Sirius grinned, " So much hostility in such a tiny girl".

" My favorite," Mary said, " Is the time that she fell asleep in the library and Madam Pince told her she spends too much time there"

" Oh, Ha ha. Doe reads too much. Never heard that one before" Doe said rolling her eyes with a smile.

" No, I still think the best one yet, was first year when she challenged Bellatrix to that duel and she won" Lily said.

" What can I say?" she said smiling brightly, " I hated her".

" Well I can't choose, there's far too many" Sirius said.

" Mine I will not even consider saying in front of James and Sirius" Remus said wrapping his arm around her. She smiled at him.

They stayed in Hogsmeade until it was almost time for dinner, and only went back to the castle to have eat.

They spent the rest of the night in the common room, playing a few very heated games of Wizards Chess, until they all became too exhausted to continue.

Doe let out a large yawn.

" You're exhausted," Lily pointed out.

She nodded, " I am actually, I've had quite the full day"

" Come on guys, let's go to bed" Mary said.

Doe squeezed Remus' hand and got up following Mary.

" Happy Birthday" Remus called as she walked away.

" Did you have a good birthday?" Lily asked as they climbed up to the sixth floor dormitory.

" The best" Doe assured her.


	23. Ch 22 The Announcement

22

The Announcement

Somehow, as it transformed into December, the sixth year's workload increased dramatically. They had so much homework that their free periods were completely consumed by it, and they still had to spend hours working on it afterwards. They were sitting in the common room working on a essay for Herbology, and it was taking forever.

" Doe, love," Sirius said, " can you move your arm? It's covering the next line"

She looked over at Sirius, who was copying her essay word for word.

" Are you cheating off of me?" she asked him.

" You said I could" Sirius said innocently.

Doe raised her eyebrow. It didn't sound like her.

" When?" she asked him.

Sirius smiled, "About 15 minutes ago. I said 'Doe can I copy your essay' and you said 'Mm sure'"

" I obviously wasn't paying attention then" she told him.

" Well you're sitting across from Moony so I doubt you were" Sirius said copying the next line.

Remus, who was sitting across from her at the coffee table, winked at her.

" You kill me, Padfoot" Remus said.

" Hey Evans" James strode over to Lily, who was sitting next to me in a large armchair.

" What, Potter?" she demanded.

" So I've come to the conclusion that I am sick of chasing you all the time" James snapped, " I've made it very clear how I feel, so if you don't want to go out with me then fine. I'm going to stop asking"

" Fine" Lily said turning back to her book.

" Fine, then" James said sitting down next to Peter on the couch.

" We have Transfiguration in five minutes" Doe told them all, " and if we're late, McGonagall will favor the Hufflepuffs"

Begrudgingly, everyone got up and went to Transfiguration. It was the only class that Doe had that she sat with Remus. They took their usual seats at the desk and waited as McGonagall walked into the room and stood in front of the board.

" Before we start our lesson today," she began, " I have a small announcement"

She crossed her arms tightly, " This year, Hogwarts is participating in a tradition that we do every 75 years. During the Christmas Holiday, on Christmas Eve, we will be having a Christmas Ball"

Everyone began chatting eagerly. They hadn't ever had any sort of dance at Hogwarts.

Professor McGonagall raised her hand to get everyone to stop talking.

" Now, the ball will only be open to fifth years and above, and appropriate attire is mandated, Dresses for the ladies and Dress Robes for the gentleman"

The chatter in the classroom had now grown louder as everyone talked excitedly amongst themselves.

" Wow, a ball" Doe said in disbelief.

Remus blinked, " I've never been to a ball before".

" It should be fun, it'll be new" Doe said excitedly.

" Would you do me the honor of accompanying me?" Remus asked.

She shrugged, " I guess so".

Remus frowned slightly.

" I'm kidding" she told him.

" I know, Dorcas" he said shaking his head.

" Gah! Whats with the name?" Doe said.

He laughed, " Sorry, I won't use it again"

" Use of it is punishable by Azkaban" she warned him.

" I'll keep that in mind" he said.

McGonagall cleared her throat, the whole class had been talking amongst themselves pretty loudly.

" Now, honestly. We have a lesson" She said walking back to the board and writing something on it.

All anyone was talking about for the next two weeks was the Christmas Ball. All of the fifth years and above were all staying at school for the Holidays because of it. Much to the sadness of Doe's parents, she had written to them telling them that she wouldn't be coming home.

All over the school, people were trying to find dates and picking out outfits. Doe's mother, upon reading her letter, had sent with her father's owl, a light pink dress from home that she thought would fit the occasion.

It's the only formal dress she owned. It was long and made of chiffon with sparkled straps.

The biggest stress that had come from this ball, was who everyone was taking.

Remus and Doe were some of the only few who weren't not forced into finding someone to go with.

Mary had been asked by Benjy Flitwick, and James had asked a Hufflepuff fifth year named Shannon.

They were all sitting in the Great Hall eating lunch a few days before the ball, when Amos Diggory came over and sat down next to Lily.

" Hey, Lily" he said with a wide smile.

Color rose in Lily's cheeks, " Oh, hi Amos" she said smiling.

" I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come with me to the ball?" he asked.

Lily nodded eagerly, " I'd love too!".

Amos smiled, " Great. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall around seven?"

" Definitely" Lily said.

Amos smiled once more at her and then went back to the Hufflepuff table.

" I told you!" Doe said to Lily the second he was out of earshot.

Lily was smiling widely.

" So Mckinnon," Sirius started to Marlene, " what if you and I went together to the ball"

Marlene looked up at him through her thick eyelashes, " Are you asking me, Black?"

" It seems I am" Sirius said flipping his hair out of his eyes.

" Then, sure" Marlene said, a small smile on her lips.

" Great" Sirius said and smiled.

Doe rolled her eyes. Marlene had already been asked to the ball by three boys and had turned them all down in the hopes that Sirius would ask her. Doe was glad he finally did, because if he hadn't Marlene would have complained about it, until he did.

" I think I'm going to go to the library" Doe told Lily and Remus, " I'll be back later".

She left the Great Hall and walked down the corridor heading towards the library.

She walked around the corner of one of the halls and almost turned around in irritation.

Leaning against the wall, was Rabastan Lestrange.

" Hey there, Doe" he called, smiling widely.

She tried to ignore him and walk passed him, but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

" Don't leave so quickly, love. Why don't you stay and chat" he said.

" I don't want to chat" she said pulling her arm away from him.

" Fine, no chatter" Rabastan said, " how about an invitation then? Come to the ball with me. I told that Narcissa girl I would go with her, but I can blow her off"

Doe scowled at him, " I already have a date, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't go with you"

She walked away from him and headed towards the library.

Severus was sitting in the usual spot where they both studied. She sat down and joined him.

" Hey, Severus" she said opening up her potions book and sitting down.

" Hello" Severus said not looking up from his book.

They did the certain sections of the homework they had agreed on and then switched so they could both finish it.

After a little while she turned to him " Are you going to the ball, Severus?"

Severus practically laughed, " No."

" Sorry, I didn't mean to pry" she told him.

" You're not prying" Severus said, " dances are just stupid"

" I'm going" she said quietly.

" Well you're a teenage girl, you're easily susceptible to the moronic traditions of those around you" Severus said.

Doe laughed, " Always such a joy you are, Severus"

Severus just shrugged, " Not all of us are thrilled by the idea of putting on a moronic costume and pretending to be having fun"

Doe laughed again, " and on that note".


	24. Ch 23 The Christmas Ball

23

The Christmas Ball

As Christmas approached quickly, Hogwarts was carpeted in a blanket of thick white snow. It was picturesque. The teachers and Hagrid had made sure that every part of the castle was decorated to perfection. The Great Hall alone had twelve full sized decorated trees, and every hallway and archway in the castle was lined with garland and snow covered ivy.

It was strange to see so many people at school over Christmas break. It seemed as if the entire school had stayed to witness what a Hogwarts dance would look like.

Mary, Marlene and Lily had all gotten there dresses already as well, they had written away to Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley.

It came quicker than they had expected, the morning of Christmas Eve was a very cold one and it was still snowing flurries outside.

" Let's go outside and make snow angels!" Lily exclaimed looking out of the window at the white covered grounds.

" We could build a snowman too!" Doe said happily.

" A what?" Marlene asked.

" It's these things that muggle children do" Mary told her with a laugh.

" I wasn't a muggle child" Doe said quickly.

" But you're mom probably showed you right?" Mary asked.

Doe nodded, " Yeah".

They all trekked out into the snow in their thick coats. The snow was up past their ankles.

" Look" Lily said catching a snowflake in her hands.

They kneeled in the snow like they were first years and stacked snow up into a small wall.

" I love this" Mary said laying back into the snow, sinking slightly into it.

" What are you birds doing over there?" Sirius asked walking over, clad with the rest of the marauders.

Marlene shook the snow out of her hair quickly.

" Just sitting around" Mary told him. Lily and Doe, who had been setting up the base of a snowman looked up at them.

Remus was wrapped up tightly in a coat and a large scarf. His cheeks pink from the snow.

" You cold?" Doe asked with a wide grin.

He nodded quickly, " It's freezing out here".

Doe got up and walked over to him quickly. She smiled slightly brushed some of the snow off of his shoulders. Remus could never handle the cold.

" I have an idea" James said looking at the snow that surrounded them. From next to her, Doe heard Lily sigh.

" What about if we had a good old-fashioned snowball fight, blokes versus birds"

" You're on" Marlene said proudly.

James smiled and then took off a few feet away from them, with the other Marauders following him.

They all started gathering snow and clumping it into small balls that they began throwing.

She had already been hit by two.

" I'm going to kill you James!" Lily shouted angrily, as he threw one straight at her face.

Doe threw one at Peter, who ducked behind a tree stump.

Suddenly, Doe felt a rush of freezing snow fall over her head.

Sirius had dumped a collection of snow on top of her. She shoved him.

" You arse" she said grabbing a handful of snow and throwing it at him.

He laughed loudly, " Moony your girl's a tyrant"

Doe grabbed a handful of snow and smashed it in Sirius' hair.

Doe turned very pleased with herself when she was hit in the arm with another one.

Remus stood grinning with two more in his hands.

" You're in for it now, Lupin" Doe said grabbing another one and running towards him to throw it.

She slipped slightly on the ice in front of her and almost fell forward. Remus caught her by her arm.

" I'm in for it, am I?" he asked.

She frowned, " It was better planned in my head" she said taking one of the the snowballs and throwing it at him.

Remus pulled her into a one armed hug.

" No fraternizing with the enemy, Moony!" Peter shouted.

Remus rolled his eyes.

" I think we're losing anyway" Doe told him as she watched Sirius dump an armful of snow on top of Marlene's head, and James throw another one at Lily.

" JAMES!" Lily hissed angrily, tossing one at his face.

Marlene and Sirius were practically on their knees throwing snow in one another's face.

" Oh," Marlene said looking at her watch, " guys it's one, we should start getting ready"

" You need six bloody hours?" Sirius asked, horrified.

" Don't worry about it" Marlene assured him, " guys come on"

" I think that's my cue" she told Remus.

" We'll have fun" Remus told her.

She raised an eyebrow, " Marlene may kill me".

" She will if you don't hurry up" Marlene called.

Mary was also looking at Marlene with a strange expression.

In the end, they ended up following her up to the dormitory. It was warm in there with the fire going. All of their dresses were hanging off the wooden poles of their beds.

Marlene began working on her makeup. Lily sat on the edge of her bed.

" Doe, can you do my hair?" She asked holding out a brush.

" Of course" Doe told her.

She turned around and Doe began running a brush through her hair, braiding it into an intricate updo.

Marlene and Mary were on the other side of the room talking wildly about the correct amount of appropriate eyeliner.

" You know what's weird?" Lily said quietly.

" What?" Doe asked her as she pinned a small piece of hair out of her face.

She made a small frown, " James didn't ask me to the ball"

" I thought you didn't want him too" she told her.

She shrugged, " I didn't, it just...I don't know weird that he didn't."

" Maybe he finally got the hint, that you're not interested"

" Yeah, maybe" Lily said softly.

Doe continued pinning her hair into place until it was all done.

" There you go" she told her.

She held up a small hand mirror, " Oh I love it! Thank you, Doe" She said hugging her tightly.

" Amos won't know what to do with himself" Doe told her.

She smiled and blushed slightly.

Doe took the brush off of the bed and began brushing out her own hair. She left some of it down and braided the rest up.

Marlene had just finished doing Lily's makeup, when she turned to her.

" You're up, Meadowes" she said.

Doe bit her lip, eyeing the collection of makeup Marlene had assembled in front of her.

" I'm not going to torture you, calm down" Marlene said yielding a small brush her hand.

Doe sat down in front of her, " Not to much" she warned her.

She didn't wear makeup on a regular basis, so she didn't want Marlene to over do it.

" Stop worrying" Marlene said spreading powder across her eyelids.

She sat there silently for a little while, letting Marlene have her fun. It felt like forever when she finally held up a small mirror.

" So?" She asked.

Doe was impressed. She had managed to outline her features without making it too dramatic.

" Thank you, Marley" she said.

They finished getting ready. It didn't take nearly six hours. They all just sat around the fire for a while talking.

About fifteen minutes before they were supposed to leave, they all took out their dresses and began putting them on.

Lily's was a dark green that matched her eyes, and Mary's was a soft blue.

They turned to Marlene who was wearing a very tight red dress.

" Wow, Marley" Lily said taking it in. It fit Marlene like a glove.

" Do you think Sirius will like it?" She asked straightening out any wrinkles.

" How can he not?" Doe asked her.

She grinned proudly.

They were about to leave when Doe grabbed her camera off of the nightstand by her bed.

" Oh no" Mary said.

" Quick someone take it from her" Marlene ordered.

" I am documenting our memories" Doe hissed gripping the camera tighter.

They walked down the stairs to the common room, where all of the other sixth and seventh years were all standing around dressed and ready.

Marlene spotted Sirius in the corner and dashed over.

Lily and Mary, whose dates were both in different houses waited by the door.

Remus was standing near the fireplace, dressed in brown dress robes.

Doe walked over, " Hey there, Stranger"

His eyes widened slightly, " Doe, you look stunning".

Doe felt the color rise to my cheeks, " You look really nice too" she told him straightening the color of his dress robes.

" You clean up very well" she said looking at him all dressed in his dress robes.

This time he blushed, " Oh stop"

She turned to a second year who was sitting with a few friends at a pair of armchairs next to them.

" Could you take a picture of us?" she asked handing her the camera.

She nodded happily, " Of course".

Doe stood next to Remus and smiled. A large flash went off and the second year handed the camera next to us.

She watched as the picture developed and saw the both of them looking into the camera smiling proudly.

" That's a nice picture" Remus said, holding it between his fingers.

" I kind of like the person in it" She told him.

He took her hand, ignoring her sarcastic comment and led her over to where the rest of their friends were sitting.

" You lot ready?" Sirius asked, Marlene was on his arm and she looked thrilled to be there.

They all walked out of the common room and headed towards the Great Hall.

Lily ran over to Amos, who waiting for her. Doe thought she saw James stiffen slightly at this, but a second later he was back to his usual expression. Mary found Benjy Flitwick and they went in together.

She watched James disappear into the crowd to find his own date.

Marlene and Sirius went straight into the Great Hall, so Remus and Doe followed them.

The Great Hall looked wonderful. She had never seen it look so transformed.

All of the house tables were gone and instead it was decorated to look like an ice castle. There was a large stage in the front, where a group of young witches were playing music.

It looked like all fifth years and above were here, clustered together with their dates.

A ball at Hogwarts was an interesting thing. Remus and Doe mostly watched. They played a lot of fast paced songs that required a lot of quick fast dancing.

They laughed as they watched Sirius and Marlene, spinning through the dance floor. Benjy and Mary were surprisingly keeping up with them.

" They seem to be enjoying themselves" Remus laughed watching Sirius twirl Marlene around wildly.

Doe watched Bellatrix walk by on the arm of Rodolphus Lestrange, she had her massive dark hair piled on top of her head in a crown and was wearing a very tight black dress.

She made eye contact with Doe and glared. She rolled her eyes, Bellatrix didn't scare her.

The song changed to a slow one and a smile crept up on Remus' face.

" Now, this one I can dance too" he said taking her hand.

Doe followed him to the dance floor. He put one hand on her waist and took the other in his hand. They slowly began to waltz. She had no idea what she was doing but she followed Remus' movements and hoped she didn't look stupid.

" Have I told you how perfect you look tonight?" Remus asked.

Doe smiled, " Thank you, You look pretty great yourself".

Remus spun me out and then back in, " I really am lucky that I have you"

" You've always had me" she told him as they danced, " I was just waiting for you to ask me"

Remus smiled, " Well thank the Marauders Halloween party"

Doe grinned, " I remember thinking it was so sudden,"

Remus pouted slightly, " Well Landon Mckinnon was talking to some of his friends and Sirius heard him say he was going to ask you to Hogsmeade," Remus said quickly, " So I got very jealous, and I was worried that you would say yes and I'd miss my opportunity, so I just kind of went for it"

Doe stared at him dumbfoundedly, " I never knew that".

He blushed slightly, " If it wasn't for that, I probably would have been too nervous to have ever asked"

" So we owe this to Landon Mckinnon?" Doe asked him.

Remus laughed, " I guess so, though I doubt he'd be too happy about that. He had quite a thing for you"

Doe rolled her eyes, " I doubt it".

Remus spun her again, " You seem to be oblivious to the effect you have on people".

" Well," Doe told him, " I'm here with the only one I want to be with".

Remus smiled, and the song changed to a fast one.

Reading the panicked expression on her face, Remus took her hand and led her out of the collection of now fast-dancing teenagers.

They spent the rest of the ball, standing near the sides watching everyone else.

At the last song of the night, Dumbledore took Professor McGonagall's hand and led her to the dance floor.

" Let's get out of here" Doe told Remus.

Remus nodded, obviously feeling the same. It was about to end anyway.

They walked out of the Great Hall, hand in hand and headed towards the Common Room, taking the long way.

She stopped Remus when they approached a hallway. Entangled together in the archway, kissing feverishly, was Marlene and Sirius.

" About time" Doe whispered to Remus.

" It was bound to happen eventually" Remus agreed.

They crept by quietly, both were too busy to notice.

She stopped in an empty corridor and turned to Remus, he held both of her hands and pulled her towards him.

They stood there for a few minutes kissing, until they started to hear people coming.

" Come on," Remus said leading her back towards their common room.

She followed him back through the corridor and into the common room.

" I had a really great night" he told her holding her hand.

" Me too" she told him.

He kissed the top of her head and then they parted ways, both of them heading to their separate dormitories.

When she got up there, Lily and Marlene were already there changing out of their dresses.

" Hey, Doe" Mary said, " did you have fun"

She nodded quickly, "loads, you?".

" Not as much fun as Lily," Mary said looking over at her with a smile.

Lily blushed deeply, " Amos kissed me, and he asked me out".

" Lily that's great!" she exclaimed.

She smiled widely.

They all changed into their pajamas and sat on their beds talking eagerly. It was almost an hour later when Marlene came into the room looking extremely disheveled.

" Mar, where have you been?" Lily asked.

Marlene sat down on the end of Lily's bed and turned to them " I have to tell you all something, but you've got to keep it a secret"

" Of course" Doe told her, while Mary and Lily nodded eagerly.

She smiled and said " Sirius and I…." She trailed off her eyelashes suggestively finishing the thought.

" Oh" Lily said quickly.

" Wow," Mary added.

" Marlene that's.." Doe trailed off, she knew it's what Marlene wanted, and if she was happy about it, she should be happy for her.

" Was he nice to you?" Mary asked.

Marlene nodded, " Good at it too"

" Ew" Doe said pulling a pillow over her head, " Marlene he is one of my best friends, I didn't need to know that"

Marlene shrugged and threw herself back onto her bed. It wasn't the first time she had done it. Doe knew there were several muggle boys and once with Caradoc Dearborn, but it was still shocking to her that she did.

" Well as long as you're happy" Lily said.

" Oh trust me," Marlene said, " I am". She wiggled her eyebrows.

Lily, Mary, and Doe all threw their pillows at her and she laughed lightly.


	25. Ch 24 This Changes Everything

24

This Changes Everything

The rest of the Christmas break was just as enjoyable, though it went by far too quickly.

Sirius and Marlene were now permanently joined at the hip, always participating in very public displays of affection, much to all of their friend's dismay.

They all spent a lot of time on the grounds. James and Sirius liked to spend the time flying around on the brand new Shooting Star that James' parents had bought him for Christmas. But like most good things, it ended far too quickly and they slowly got back into routine of school.

As more time passed, they had less free time. All of their hours were consumed with massive amounts of work, which required everyone, Sirius included, to spend lots of time in the library.

She had been in the library so late one night, that when she finally got back to the dormitory, She fell asleep in her clothes. She had been very exhausted.

" Ms. Meadowes, wake up" someone said shaking her awake quickly.

She woke up instantly, and was very confused. Professor McGonagall was standing over her, in her dressing gown, her wand out and lit.

" Professor McGonagall, What's going on?" Doe asked quickly, feeling very thankful that she had been dressed.

" Please come with me, Ms. Meadowes" Professor McGonagall said, a worried expression on her face.

Doe grabbed her wand off of the nightstand next to her bed and followed her out of the room.

She led her out of the common room and down one of the corridors of the school.

" We're going to see Professor Dumbledore" she said earnestly leading her to the wrought iron opening.

Doe was very confused. She hadn't done anything wrong, what could possibly going on.

" Sherbert Lemon" Professor McGonagall said to the ornate eagle structure.

With a quick turn, a staircase appeared and they stepped on it, allowing them to move upwards to Dumbledore's office.

She had never been inside it before. His office was quite ornate. It had high, vaulted ceilings and was covered with books, and portraits of the previous headmasters.

" Professor Dumbledore" Professor McGonagall said leading her into the room.

Dumbledore frowned slightly, he was wearing his usual periwinkle robes.

" Ms. Meadowes," he said softly.

Doe stared at him with a blank, worried expression.

" Am I in trouble, Professor?" she asked.

Dumbledore shook his head, " No, my dear, you are not. But I am afraid I have some bad news"

Doe took in a deep breathe.

" Ms. Meadowes, I hate to have to tell you this," Dumbledore began, "but your father has been killed".

She didn't hear him correctly. That much was obvious to her. She must have misunderstood him. There was no way that her father, Auberon Meadowes, could be dead.

"Ms. Meadowes?" the headmaster asked eyeing her with a sorrowful gaze.

Doe looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears as she realized one of the most powerful wizards she had ever known was telling her what she couldn't believe.

It was like everything moved in slow motion at that time. The world got a little fuzzy around the edges for a minute. It looked like she was watching a picture of the scene enfolding in front of her rather than being there.

She was there, but she didn't feel like she was.

There was a whole of darkness opening up inside of her. She clutched at her chest, biting her lip to keep from crying in front of her Headmaster and Head of House.

Her father was dead.

The only family she had that loved her unconditionally, was gone.

She was flooded with emotions and she began sobbing, uncontrollably.

The kind of crying that takes over your entire body. Doe was plunged into so much sadness, she couldn't feel it. Tears were pouring down her face.

Professor McGonagall pulled her into a hug, patting her back and whispering " there, there".

She wore an expression of the most professional kind of sadness.

The pain of it was destroying her. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

" How?" she managed to get out, when Professor McGonagall released her.

" I am afraid he was killed by Death Eaters" Dumbledore said solemnly.

Her chest began heaving up and down. Death Eaters. she should have known. A fire roared inside her and her mouth tasted almost acidic with the anger she felt.

" I'm going to take you back home now, alright?" Dumbledore said offering her his arm.

She nodded quickly, tears still pouring down her face. She felt the sharp pull as they apparatted and landed on the cold steps in front of her house. It was covered with wizards in ministry robes. They were everywhere. Some of their muggle neighbors were leaving their homes gathering in the streets pointing at the sky.

Hovering large and green in the sky above her house, was the dark mark.

Doe felt as though she was struck in the chest by a jinx. She dropped to her knees, the tears pouring out of her.

One of the ministry employees helped her to her feet. She pushed past them and ran straight into the house.

It was even more crowded with ministry employees. The minister himself, Millicent Bagnold was standing one corner talking closely to a few associates. He stopped when he saw her, mouthing ' daughter' to the associate next to him.

The whole house was ripped apart. There were things everywhere and upturned furniture.

He was obviously killed there in the home. Doe could barely move.

Some of the employees parted and she spotted her mother. Tears streaming down her face, she was talking quickly to a few magical law enforcers and aurors.

" Oh, Dorcas" she said bursting into tears when she saw her daughter. She pulled her into a tight hug and they began sobbing against one another.

The next two days were the worst days Doe had ever lived.

Greif had overcome her. She didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't eat, and she rarely slept. She just sat planted in the large armchair in her father's office. It comforted her to be surrounded by his things. Almost like he wasn't gone, just at work.

Ministry employees came in and out often during those two days. They were arranging a funeral at the Hogsmeade cemetery. They mostly dealt with Doe's mom, but if there was some sort of magical question they asked and she didn't know, she would call Doe to help answer it.

Doe hadn't spoken to her mother since that first night. Her father was the link that kept them all together, and without him here, it made the large divide between her and her mother only more evident.

The funeral was three days after he died. Doe woke up to find a long sleeved lace dress hanging on her closet. Obviously intended for today, she put it on. She didn't want too. She didn't even want to go. It was all far too much for her.

She walked down to the living room to find her mother sitting on one of the couches in the living room, opposite her was the Minister for Magic, and two men from her father's office.

" Ah, Dorcas there you are" Minister Bagnold said, "we were just waiting for you"

" It's Doe," she corrected him, sitting down on one of the armchairs.

" Ah, I see I'm sorry Doe" the minister said.

" Let me begin this by saying how sorry I am for both of you," the minister began.

Doe eyed him curiously. She had very little patience for those who tried to pity her.

" Auberon was a great man and he'll be wholly missed" one of the men beside the minister said.

Her mother let out a strange sob. The other man handed her a handkerchief.

" And as unfortunate a situation as it is, I have assembled us all here to read Auberon's will" the minister said.

Doe tensed up, trying to stop the tears from coming at of her eyes. It stung so much. She felt like someone had plunged something sharp into her chest.

The minister opened a long scroll and began reading from it,

" I, Auberon Cassius Meadowes, state that this is my last will and testament, and that I am of sound mind and body. I would like to leave my estate, including my home, and the contents of my bank account at the First National Bank of England, to my dear wife Anne Linda Meadowes. As for my magical objects, and the entirety of my Gringotts bank account, I would like to leave to be beloved daughter, Dorcas " Doe" Euphegenia Meadowes."

Doe and her mother sat silently. She was in shock, he had left everything from the magical part of his life to her. He knew it would mean something to her. Tears began streaming down her face. She tried desperately to wipe them.

The minister pulled out two forms, handing one to her mother and one to Doe.

" Seeing as Doe is seventeen and already of age, all she has to do is sign this form and the Gringotts account and objects can be released to her"

Doe took the quill he handed her and signed her name at the bottom of the page.

The minister took a key out of his pocket and handed it to her.

" This is the key to your father's Gringotts vault, it can be transferred to you at any time. Congratulations, you've just become a very wealthy young woman" the minister said.

She snatched the key from him, disgusted that days after her father's death, he thought all she would be concerned with was how much she had acquired.

The minister smiled softly at her mother, " I'm to escort you both to the funeral".

He offered them both an arm, obviously meaning for her to take them. She took it gently and felt the uncomfortable pull as they apparated to the cemetery. It was at the furthest end of Hogsmeade, near all the residences, where Hogwarts students rarely went.

There were hundreds of witches and wizards there, all standing around the seats that had been put out. She saw the casket sitting on a large cement bench near the front, and felt her knees buckle. It was sealed shut, but she knew he was in there.

" DOE"

She heard her name being called and she looked over to see, amongst all of the much older witches and wizard, seven familiar faces.

Remus, James, Sirius, Peter, Lily, Mary and Marlene were all walking over dressed in all black.

She could still feel the tears on her cheeks as she walked over and felt Remus soundlessly pull her into a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder and instantly began crying, she couldn't help it.

He held her there, letting her cry and whispering " I am so sorry" in her ear.

After a few minutes, she let go of him, her eyes bloodshot from crying.

" Doe, come here" Sirius said pulling her into a tight hug, he kissed the top of her head, " I'm so sorry"

She barely acknowledged them. Her mouth was dry and her body felt heavy. She didn't know what to say.

" How are you?" Lily asked holding her shoulder.

" We've been so worried" Mary said quickly.

" We forced Dumbledore to let us come" Marlene told her.

" I'm fine" Doe managed to get out, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.

All of their expressions softened.

" We've missed you, Doe" James assured her. " We were all worried".

She bit her lip to try and stop herself from crying.

" It'll be okay" Peter said trying to comfort her.

The large group of witches and wizards around them began taking a seat.

" It's beginning" the minister said coming over to her.

Doe looked over at the front row and to the seat intended for her. It was in between her mother and the minister.

Doe avoided it, sitting in a row back with her friends, in between Sirius and Remus.

My mother eyed her and gave her a scathing look, obviously mad that she had left her alone with a bunch of witches and wizards.

Doe noticed Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Slughorn all sitting in the row across from them.

Dumbledore offered her a soft smile. She returned it.

The minister stood up on the podium in front of the casket.

" We are all gathered here today to mourn the loss of an amazing leader and even more amazing wizard, Auberon Meadowes."

Doe began crying again. She buried her face against Remus. He let her, wrapping an arm around her. Sirius squeezed her hand reassuringly from her other side.

" Auberon was not only the best Hit Wizard we've ever had at the ministry but he was also one of the most decent men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, since our days in Ravenclaw, Auberon has proved to me everyday that it is important to be more than just smart. You must also be brave, and creative, and kind. All of which he was." the minister said.

He started again, " Auberon also loved deeply, he defied the social norms and sought after the woman he loved, regardless of what she was or how anyone else felt about it"

Doe's mother burst into loud tears.

" And he loved his daughter deeply. I've never met a man a man who cared for or was more proud of their child, then Auberon was of Doe".

Doe felt like a large hole had opened in the middle of her chest. She had never felt pain like this. Doe sobbed harder. Her hands over her face. Sirius stroked her hair, trying to comfort her.

" So, I would like for us all to remember Auberon Meadowes not for the way he died, but for the way he lived. For he lived a wholly good life, and rest assured that the tyrants who took him from us will be caught"

The crowd of witches and wizards burst into applause and stood.

The minister raised his wand. " For Auberon"

The crowd mimicked him, " For Auberon".

There was a shuffle as everyone stood up. Remus led her out of the aisle.

It was like a stampede, tons of people kept coming up to her. Some she knew, and some she didn't. They kept telling her how sorry they were and how they understood what she was going through. It didn't offer her any comfort. All of these people, who cared enough about her father to be here, was nice, but it didn't do anything to stop the desperate aching inside her chest.

She hadn't let go of Remus the entire time. He stood there dutifully, letting her cling to him or cry against him. The rest of her friends sat on the low wall of the graveyard, giving her and the rest of the mourners some space.

" They're all about as thick as goblin blood with all that' he's in a better place shit, huh?" someone said behind her.

She turned to see Alastor Moody behind her. She quickly wiped the tear off her face.

" Completely full of it" she agreed.

Strangely, he was someone she had actually wanted to see.

" How are you doing, really?" Moody asked.

" I can't feel anything" she told him honestly. Remus tightened next to her, squeezing her hand tighter.

Moody frowned, " It'll get easier, but it's going to suck for a long time"

" Who did it?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Moody sighed, " How'd I know you'd ask that?"

Doe raised an eyebrow. She wanted answers and she knew that Moody was her best chance of getting them.

Moody narrowed his eyes, " I don't know who exactly yet, but I will find out"

" Let me know as soon as you do" Doe said, a new kind of strange fury building inside her. It was revenge. She wanted revenge.

Moody nodded. He turned to Remus, " Get her out of here, these people can find some other way to offer their condolences"

Remus nodded and walked them over to the wall where everyone else was.

" Do you want to go back up to the castle?" Lily asked.

Doe shook her head furiously, she felt too sick to go back there, surrounded by more people who would want to know how she was.

" Can we just go sit down somewhere" Doe asked.

" Of course" Lily said.

They ended up sitting down by the same tree near the Three broomsticks that they had on her birthday. It felt like a lifetime ago to her.

A few minutes later, Sirius strode out of the three broomsticks with a bottle of firewhiskey.

He handed it to her, " It'll help"

" Don't give her that!" Lily shouted reaching for the bottle in his hand, " how did you even get it?"

Sirius ignored Lily and handed it to Doe, " Rosmerta understood"

Ignoring Lily's complaints, Doe took the bottle and took a few large sips. It burned her throat, but she didn't care. She just wanted something to drown out the pain.


	26. Ch 25 Doe's Dark Days

25

Doe's Dark Days

Getting back to normal. That's what Doe was supposed to be doing. Like somehow, finishing her homework and going to class was going to make her forget that her father was murdered.

It hadn't. It was still just as painful.

She woke up and fell asleep everyday the same way, sobbing.

It had all been too much, and it had made her angry. Greif and anger were a dangerous combination.

She did everything she was supposed to do. She went to her classes, she ate and slept regularly, but it felt like she was just going through the motions. She felt empty and emotionless. Everything that had brought her happiness before felt so pointless now.

It had made her severely anti-social. She didn't talk to anyone unless spoken too, and she spent a great deal of time by herself. She was sinking into her own grief. It was easier than trying to get passed it.

One day, she was sitting in Transfiguration listening to Professor McGonagall lecture about how to turn objects into food.

And though she was writing down a perfect transcription of what she heard, she wasn't really paying attention. She didn't feel like she was actually there.

Every so often Remus would look over at her, from next to her where he was sitting and give her a sympathetic glance. She knew she had been avoiding him lately. She felt really bad, but she was too upset and in too much pain to talk to him.

When Professor McGonagall dismissed the class, she gathered up her stuff quickly and left the room.

She figured she would just go sit in the library or something.

" Oh look, it's Meadowes" Elizabeth Merlin said to Bellatrix in the hallway, " she looks awful doesn't she"

Doe turned to her, glaring at her with such ferocity that it scared even her. Who did they think they were, coming to start trouble when Doe clearly was not in the mood.

" I suspect it's because her dear daddy is dead" Bellatrix said coldly, " That's what happens when purebloods mate with filth like muggles"

Anger was bubbling inside of Doe. She had spent the last few weeks agonizing over her Dad's death and these two were practically bragging about it. She felt a surge of anger that she hadn't felt since hearing about her father's death.

Doe took out her wand and charged at Bellatrix holding it to her throat.

" If you say one more word about my father I swear to Merlin, you'll regret it" she snapped wildly, pressing her wand as close to Bellatrix's throat as she could.

She was filled with an impressive amount of anger. It would be so easy to hex Bellatrix. To wipe that smug look of her face, and let her feel one ounce of the pain she felt.

" Doe, stop it!" Sirius said grabbing her by the waist and pulling her off of Bellatrix, " She is not worth it"

Doe fought against him slightly desperate to charge and Bellatrix, but Sirius was much stronger than she was.

Bellatrix stared back at Doe with a look of absolute loathing.

Doe pulled away from Sirius angrily. All she had wanted to do was the hex that grin off of Bellatrix's stupid face and he wouldn't let her.

She cast a dirty look at Sirius and walked back towards the library where she was headed.

She needed to be alone. She didn't want to have to talk.

She went into the library and sat at one of the tables in between the shelves. There was very few people there.

She sat down at the table and brought her knees to her chest, placing her head on top of them.

It had to get easier. She kept telling herself that over and over again. She was torn between two emotions, the perpetual sadness she felt over his death and the fear and anger that coursed through her whenever she thought of the death eaters who had done it.

Severus passed by the shelves were she sat.

He had a stack of books in his arms. He looked like he was going to keep walking but he sighed and sat down across from her.

" Are you okay?" he asked her.

" You don't have to be here" she told him harshly, "you should go".

She wiped a single tear off of her cheek.

Severus looked at her with a mixture of pity and irritation.

" Well fine, don't talk" he said opening one of his books, " but I'm not leaving".

They sat like that for a while, neither one of them saying anything. Severus was studying but every few minutes or so he would look up at Doe with the strangest expression. She realized she was being too harsh, and Severus was only trying to be considerate to her. He was being a good friend.

" I'm sorry" she said softly after a few minutes.

" It's okay" Severus said.

There were a few more minutes of silence and then he looked at her.

" Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

It was strange. Though Doe knew they had become friends, Severus rarely showed any type of emotion or concern towards her.

Doe shrugged, " I don't know".

Severus took a deep breath, " I'm sorry about your father".

Doe rested her chin on her knees, " Me too".

Severus sighed, " You know sometimes I think you'd make an excellent Slytherin"

Doe gave him a dirty look.

" Sorry, I forgot how very patriotic you are to your house" Severus said scribbling something on the book in front of him.

Doe didn't say a word, she just sat staring ahead of her.

" You know, I never thought I'd say this, " Severus said picking up a few of his books, " But I miss the old Doe".

Doe watched him gather his things and disappear.

A month passed. They were two weeks into February and nothing had changed. She still felt like something was missing. It kept her from being involved in anything.

It had been a month since she had spent any time with any of her friends. They were trying to give her some space, but she saw the look of sadness on Lily, Remus, and Sirius' faces when she went straight into the dormitory or to the library instead of joining them in the common room.

She wanted to go back to how it was before, desperately, but she still felt so damaged. She couldn't get through the day without crying.

She was sitting on the edge of her bed alone. It was a Friday night and everyone was downstairs in the common room.

One of the Bagman brother's was playing music and everyone was downstairs enjoying it. Except for Doe.

There was a knock at the door. Doe didn't get it. If it was Mary, or Lily, they would just come in.

The door opened and it wasn't either of them. Sirius stood in the doorway with a very determined look.

" How did you?" Doe asked in disbelief. The girls staircase turned into a very steep slide when a boy tried to climb it.

Sirius held a broomstick in front of him.

Doe rolled her eyes, " Leave it to you to figure out how to get into the girls dormitory".

Sirius laughed and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed.

Doe avoided his eyes not speaking. They sat in silence for a moment.

" Doe" he started, " this isn't like you."

Doe looked up at him. He was giving her a very knowing look. He looked years older when he did that.

" Sirius, I'm still upset" she told him, crossing her arms in frustration.

He nodded, " I know, but you can't let this ruin your life. You're by yourself all the time and you're not talking to any of us. We're worried, Doe. Lily has no idea what to do with herself without you and you have a boyfriend down there who is beside himself worrying about you. He misses you. We all do. You're the only person I can really talk to about things.. I need you, Doe" he said poking her in the ribs.

She started to laugh slightly, and then it turned into tears.

"It's okay, beautiful" Sirius said pulling her into a hug. She cried into his chest. He ran his hands over her hair.

" It's okay to still be sad" he told her, " but at least come be sad with us, so we can make you feel better"

She smiled slightly wiping the tears from her face.

" Thank you, Siri" she told him.

" That's what I'm here for" he said, " now come downstairs, because Moony is quite annoying without you".

She laughed a little and followed Sirius out of the dormitory, having to slide down it because of him.

Their friends were sitting in the corner on two of the couches and a few armchairs.

Doe watched them smile as she walked over.

" Doe," Lily said happily from her armchair. She had a book open on her lap.

Doe walked over to where Remus was sitting on the couch and sat down next to him, pulling him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

" I'm sorry" she told him quietly.

He shook his head, " Don't apologize. You needed time"

She reached up quickly and kissed him on the lips. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her, so that she could lean against him while she sat there.

" Told you, I could get her to come downstairs, Prongs you owe me five bucks" Sirius said.

Doe grabbed a pillow off of the couch and tossed it at him, " You bet on me?"

Sirius shrugged, " Why not? I know you better than you know yourself"

She rolled her eyes and leaned back against Remus.

" So what've I missed?" she asked everyone.

And they began launching into everything that had happened.

It became a lot easier to go back to normal than Doe had thought it would be. Time kept going, and not wanting to miss anymore than she already had, she did too.

It was time for another Quidditch game again, this game was Gryffindor V. Hufflepuff.

Sirius, Marlene and James, not wanting to lose again, had spent hours practicing every night.

All of the time they were spending together had caused Marlene and Sirius to start arguing more often.

When they had a row, it could usually clear the common room, but it didn't last long, and they were usually back to being wrapped around each other an hour later.

The morning of the game, it was storming, badly. There were sheets of rain coming down, but no lightning so they game wouldn't be cancelled. You could see the look of nervousness on both James and Sirius' face as they looked out the window in the Great Hall before the game.

" You guys will do fine" Doe told them.

" Not if we can't bloody see anything" Sirius said glumly.

" I can help" Doe said taking out her wand. She pointed it at Sirius' eyes and cast a water repellent spell

" _Aguaus repell!_ "

Sirius blinked quickly.

" Now the rain won't get in your eyes" Doe told him.

" Excellent!" Sirius said.

She did the incantation to James and Marlene as well, and taught them how to do it, so that they could do it to the other players once they were in the locker room.

The game was due to start soon, so Remus and Doe braced the rain, holding their cloaks above their heads and made their way up to the stands where Peter, Mary and Lily were waiting.

The rain was pouring over the top of the tent stands and still soaking all of them.

The rain came down so thick that it was hard to see anything on the field. They only knew the players were coming out because of the small yellow and scarlet streaks in the rain. Individuals players and the goals were indistinguishable.

Miranda Hopkirk tried to announce the game from the teacher's stand but even she was having difficulty seeing what was going on, but it was useless and about halfway through she gave up, only announcing when she saw something happen.

Close to their stand, they saw two players, one yellow and one scarlet streak by chasing something. It had to be James and Amos chasing the snitch.

The scarlet player grasped something in his hand, and the yellow player went tumbling to the ground.

" IT LOOKS LIKE JAMES POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH AND WON THE GAME, AND OH NO IT LOOKS LIKE HUFFLEPUFF PLAYER AMOS DIGGORY HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND AND NOPE HE'S NOT UP, COULD BE SERIOUS"

" Oh no, " Lily said jumping up from her seat and running down the stairs to the field.

Her worries were drowned out by the collective cheer from the Gryffindors around us. This win meant that they were in the lead.

Remus grabbed his cloak, trying to keep it over them as they ran back towards the castle.

Soaking wet, they managed to make it into the common room, where a party was in full swing.

Sirius and Marlene however, were not enjoying the party with everyone else.

" You know what? Fine! Maybe we shouldn't be seeing each other" Sirius said to Marlene.

" Fine" She snapped back. They walked away from each other.

" Well that was short-lived" Peter said.

James was standing amongst a crowd of people, detailing the game for those who couldn't see it due to the large amount of rain.

Doe really hoped that this new tension between Sirius and Marlene wouldn't hurt the rest of them.


	27. Ch 26 The Ridiculous Irony

26

The Ridiculous Irony

It seemed as if their classes were becoming more boring lately. All of their lessons were slowly becoming more lectures and less practical. This morning they had spent the whole day writing essays in both charms and Herbology.

By the time they got to Defense Against the Dark Arts, they were all very ready to do something that was interesting.

They knew instantly that they were having another practical lesson, when they entered the room because there wasn't a desk in sight. Only one large wardrobe with an old mirror on the front.

" Excellent" James said walking into the room, a large smile on his face.

" What is he having us do, hang up his robes?" Peter asked.

Doe stared at the wardrobe intently trying to figure out what was inside of it, or what Professor Weasley was going to have them do with it.

Lily was also staring at it, mirroring her puzzled expression.

Professor Weasley strode down the stairs leading from his office. He stood in front of the large wardrobe, the mirror reflecting his back.

" Today we will be learning about something that almost all adult wizards have to deal with at some point in their life, so it is better to learn it early and master it"

Professor Weasley crossed his arms, " How many of you can tell me what a boggart is?"

Rita Skeeter raised her hand tall, as did Xeno.

" Yes, Ms. Skeeter?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Rita smiled proudly, " A boggart is a shapeshifting creature that transforms into whatever someone fears the most"

Professor Weasley nodded, " Yes, that's right. Take ten points to Ravenclaw"

He turned and stared at the rest of the class, " Does anyone know how to stop a boggart?"

No one answered.

Professor Weasley let out a small smile, " the incantation is 'riddikulus' and when you do it, you must think of your worst fear and force it to assume a shape you find funny"

Mixed whispers were amongst them. Doe had no idea what she feared most. How was she supposed to think of a way to find it amusing?

Professor Weasley scanned the crowd.

" You, Lupin. Come here you first" he said waving Remus towards the wardrobe.

Remus was whitefaced. He looked terrified. It was strange to see him like this, Doe didn't think she had ever seen him quite so nervous.

He stood in front of the wardrobe and took a deep breath.

Professor Weasley grasped the handle of the wardrobe open and something swished up in front of Remus.

It was a white orb surrounded by fog. It took Doe a second to realize it was the moon.

Remus looked like he was petrified with fear. Doe couldn't understand why he feared the moon. Maybe it meant he feared the dark.

He raised his wand, " RIDDIKULUS" he shouted at it.

The boggart wobbled feebly and turned itself into a balloon which blew helium across the room as it faded.

Everyone in the room clapped.

" Good Job Mr. Lupin!" Professor Weasley shouted clapping his hands happily, " Everyone line up now!"

Everyone lined up, Doe watched as it transformed into something different for each person.

For Peter, it was a dark hooded figure, that Doe easily recognized as the guards of azkaban prison, dementors. Peter trembled in front of it and couldn't face it so it moved onto James, for whom it turned into a body on the floor. It was face down and all that was visible was a head of dark red hair.

James moved quickly, shouting the incantation and watching it turn into a humorous large rag doll.

Doe turned to Lily who was blushing slightly, obviously noticing the same resemblance it bore to her, that Doe did.

Sirius' boggart appeared in front of him and it confused everyone. It looked at first glance as if it was a mirror in front of him. It was Sirius but he was adorned in emerald robes.

Sirius waved his wand quickly shouting the incantation and watching as the boggart turned into Slughorn in the Slytherin robes, an obviously drunk babbling Slughorn. The scene of the potions master so obviously inebriated caused many people to laugh.

Doe watched as the boggart moved on through the crowd turning into various things, a giant spider, a mummy, a vicious more terrifying than the rest. Many people had difficulty facing there's, some like Peter couldn't do it at all. Mary couldn't face it when the troll came charging towards her, so the boggart turned to Lily. It was McGonagall. She was telling Lily she was being expelled.

Doe felt bad but it was eliciting some laughs from everyone in the crowd. Lily managed the incantation and Professor changed the name on the expulsion slip to James Potter, causing an angry growl from him in the corner.

The boggart turned to Doe and she froze. McGonagall was gone.

Coming towards her was a shape so realistic, she was paralyzed with fear.

It was a cloaked man. His face covered by a metallic mask.

A death eater.

He raised his wand at him and started to shout " AVADA KEDAV-"

Professor Weasley stepped in front of her and shouted 'Riddikulus'. The death eater disappeared and as did the boggart.

Doe was still frozen with fear.

" I think that's enough for today, why don't you all leave early?" Professor Weasley said.

Lily and Mary were both in front of Doe instantly, " Doe are you okay?"

She nodded, and said " I'm fine" quickly.

" Ms. Meadowes, Please stay after a moment" Professor Weasley said.

Lily gave her a fleeting glance and left with everyone else.

" Come, Doe" Professor Weasley said, " Let's go have some tea in my office".

She followed Professor Weasley up to his office and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

He handed her a teacup full of tea and sat down behind his desk.

She took a sip, letting it calm her down.

" I would like to apologize for what happened during the lesson today" Professor Weasley said,

" I didn't consider that it would take that form, and I could see how that would be very traumatic for you in light of what happened to your father".

Doe shook my head, " I'm okay, Professor, honestly. It was good for me. I'll need to get it over my aversion to seeing them"

Professor Weasley nodded, " Well, then I don't feel quite as bad about the boggart anymore then".

Doe shook her head and put the tea down, " Don't, I'm fine".

She got up to leave.

" Doe, if you need anything or ever need anyone to talk too, I'm here" Professor Weasley said.

" Thank you," she told him and left the office. She walked out of the classroom, and almost ran into a group of Slytherins. It was Severus, Yaxley, and Lucius.

Yaxley and Lucius eyed her with a strange look.

" Hi, Severus" she said to him.

Severus looked very nervous, " Hi, Doe".

Lucius looked at both of them with a strange expression.

Not wanting to have to deal with Severus' moronic Slytherin friends, Doe walked past them and went back to the common room.

A notice had gone up in the common room that stated all sixth years would be having apparition lessons in the Great Hall. It was the topic of much discussion. Most students had done side-along apparition and the idea of learning how to do it themselves was very exciting.

So after transfiguration on Friday, all 40 of the sixth years lined up outside of the Great Hall.

" This is going to be so exciting! I've never even side apparated" Lily said to Doe.

" It's not fun exactly, it makes me quite uncomfortable" Doe told her.

" You and Sirius are lucky" Mary said, " You're both of age, so you if you get it they can register you today"

" Is that true?" Doe asked Sirius.

He nodded, " As far as I know".

They opened the great hall doors and the tables were gone. There were 40 circles marked off by magic. Some employees from the Ministry were directing them away from the circles standing them a few feet behind them. When everyone was safely inside, they closed the doors again.

The two wizards from the ministry stood in the front of the hall.

" Hello, we are from the Department of Magical Transportation, and we're here to teach you all how to apparate in a safe environment. Apparition is very dangerous so please listen to what we say and you should all be fine" one of them said.

" You must be an adult to obtain an apparition license so if any of you are seventeen and master it, we can perform the evaluation test here today" the second one said.

They stood in the front and explained how to do it. The students were to try and apparate into one of the circles in front of them.

They explained how they needed to be very careful because splinching, the abandonment of part of your body, was quite common when first learning how.

At first they all just stared blank-faced at the circles, willing themselves to do it. Nothing happened. It was an hour before James managed to apparate himself into one of the circles, landing half in and half out.

" Be careful to aim correctly" the wizard ordered, " what if that had been a cliff?"

" Why would I apparate to a cliff?" James asked.

Elizabeth Merlin also tried it and ended up splinching herself. A large gaping wound opened on her arm, where a piece of muscle disappeared and she had to be brought to the Hospital Wing.

Sirius was the first one to correctly master it. He landed perfectly in the circle. He was asked to repeat it three times before the wizards issued him a license. He grinned widely.

It took Doe an hour, but she managed to get a hang of it, and after 20 more minutes she was also presented with a license.

" Nice work, Meadowes" Sirius said.

She smiled, pocketing the license, " You too, Black"

Severus and Xeno were the only other two student's who got their licenses. Some of the sixth years, like Lily, had managed to do it but were not old enough.

Severus was standing next to Doe, " So, I see you're feeling better" he said.

Doe nodded, " Much,".

" I'm glad" Severus said, " moody and depressed didn't fit you"

She laughed, " That's too much of a Slytherin trait for me".

Severus rolled his eyes at her and walked away.

Remus took his place, coming over " That is really hard" he said panting. He had just managed to apparate a few feet in front of him.

" It's tricky" she agreed.

He took a deep breath, " I'm not really feeling good" he said.

Doe blinked at him, " Oh I'm sorry, do you want me to go with you to the Hospital Wing?" she asked him.

He shook his head, " I can go", he kissed the top of her head and left the hall.

They spent the next hour finishing up the apparition lessons. They informed them that they would be coming again next year.

Sirius and Doe were walking down the corridor towards the common room. Outside it was dark, and the moon was out, it was a full moon.

It reminded her of Remus and his boggart. She was still so worried about Remus, he got sick so often.

And then it hit her. She couldn't believe it had taken her so long.

Remus was sick often, every month. And his boggart was a full moon, it was what he feared the most. And tonight was a full moon, and he was sick tonight. And his nickname was Moony.

Remus was a werewolf.

Doe stopped dead in the middle of the hallway.

" Doe , what's wrong?" Sirius asked.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him into a secluded corner, facing him with a vicious look.

" Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

" Tell you what?" Sirius asked.

" Remus is a werewolf, isn't he?" Doe asked, crossing her arms.

Sirius didn't say anything. He just stared at her with a strange expression on his face.

" Sirius" Doe pressed.

Sirius' face widened, " Who told you? Was it Wormtail, I'll kill him"

" No one told me" she said, " I just figured it out".

Sirius sighed, " Moony's going to kill me"

" Why didn't he tell me?" she asked.

Sirius frowned, " He didn't think you'd still like him".

" But that's ridiculous!" she said.

" I know that" Sirius said, " but Remus doesn't".

Doe started walking away.

" Where are you going?" Sirius asked.

" To the hospital wing, I've got to talk to him" Doe said, ignoring him.

Sirius grabbed her arm and stopped her.

" Doe it's night, he's already begun phasing. He's in the shrieking shack"

" The shrieking shack?" Doe asked.

Sirius sighed again, " It's where he goes, there's a tunnel under the whomping willow"

" So it's not really haunted?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head.

Doe ran her hands through her hair nervously.

" Look, Doe. Tomorrow morning you can talk to him. Just wait, and don't tell anyone" Sirius said.

" Why would I tell anyone?" she asked in disbelief.

" You wouldn't" Sirius said.

They walked back to the common room, and Doe spent the rest of the night on edge. All she wanted to do was talk to Remus. Up until she finally went to bed, Sirius kept throwing her worried glances. It was starting to annoy her so much, she went up to the dormitory early.

She had trouble sleeping that night. She kept waking up. She was still exhausted when she woke up the next morning.

Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Alice were all asleep in their beds when she got dressed and sneaked out the next morning.

She walked quietly, trying to make sure that her shoes didn't make any noise on the ground while she walked out.

The common room was empty still, since it was saturday and before nine.

She left and headed towards the direction of the Hospital Wing. She knew it didn't open until nine, so she had a good fifteen minutes before Remus would be coming out.

She sat down against the wall, and waited. She watched a house elf go in at one point pushing a cart of breakfast and then leave.

She just kept waiting. Eventually, the door opened and Remus came out.

He blinked quickly when he saw her, " Doe, what are you doing here?"

She stood up and looked at him, " When were you going to tell me?" she asked, crossing her arms.

" Tell you what?" Remus asked.

She looked at him, " When were you going to tell me that you're a werewolf?"

Remus gulped. He looked at the floor, avoiding her gaze.

" Did Sirius tell you?" He asked.

She shook her head, " I figured it out on my own".

Remus looked back at her, sorrow mirrored in his eyes. " I'm sorry, I understand. You can go"

" Why would I go?" she asked.

" I mean you're breaking up with me, aren't you? That's why you're here" Remus said.

Doe stared at him dumbfounded, " Of course not, why would I do that?"

He looked back at her, just as confused, " But you know what I am, and I'm dangerous"

" Remus, I'm hardly in the position to be judging anyone" she told him.

" And you are not dangerous" she told him.

He stared at me with a look of pure shock, " You're not disgusted?" he asked.

" No, why would I be?" Doe asked him.

He just stared back at her, with the same puzzled expression.

" It doesn't change anything for you?" he asked.

She shook her head, " Of course not, Remus. I…" she trailed off.

" Wait what?" Remus asked.

Doe shook her head quickly, " No nevermind"

Remus looked at her and eyed her with a strange expression.

" Doe, what?" he asked her.

Doe bit her lip nervously," I love you, okay? So it doesn't matter to me what you are"

Remus stared back at her in disbelief, followed by a moment of silence.

Doe blushed deeply, " I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that, I-".

Remus cut her off, " You love me, even though you know what I am?"

Doe nodded, " Why would it change how I feel about you?".

His face softened and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, His hands were on her waist, holding her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and felt him knot his hands in her hair.

They stood there like that for a while, wrapped around each other.

When they pulled apart he looked at her, " Doe, I love you too. I always have".

Doe smiled and let out a sigh of relief, " Good, because I was going to be humiliated if you didn't feel that way"

" Impossible" he said stroking the side of her face with his thumb.

" Wait, so tell me everything" she told him, grabbing his hand.

They walked down the hall and towards the doors to the grounds.

" How long have you been one?" she asked curiously.

She and Remus walked along the edge of the black lake.

" I was bitten by a werewolf who had a problem with my father, when I was four" he said.

" For that long?" Doe asked quietly.

He nodded, " And it was fine at first, before Hogwarts. When I phased I did it in my bedroom, since it's in the basement. But when I got my letter to Hogwarts I didn't think it was possible to go. Dumbledore came to our house and told us they were constructing the shrieking shack so that I could phase there and that they would put the Whomping Willow over the entrance, so no one would find it. And that solved the obvious problem, but I had to lie to everyone, every month, and eventually it became too much, so in third year, I told Sirius, James, and Peter"

Remus looked at the ground, " I thought they wouldn't be my friends anymore, but they reacted a lot like you, they were fine with it. And they wanted to be there for me, but they obviously couldn't human so they started trying to become animagi, and in fifth year they figured it out. So they come with me on the full moons"

" They're unregistered animagi?" Doe asked in disbelief.

Remus nodded.

" So that's why you all found Professor McGonagall's lesson on them, so humorous" she said shaking her head.

They sat down at the base of one of the large oak trees. Remus laughed as he watched Doe's face.

" What kind of animals do they turn into?" she asked very curious.

" James is a stag, Sirius is a dog, and Peter is a rat" Remus said.

" Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail" Doe said, suddenly understanding.

" And Moony, Really? Thats pretty obvious" she told Remus.

He shrugged, " You're the only one to have pieced it together so far".

" And it really doesn't bother you?" Remus asked, he was looking at her face with the strangest emotion she had ever seen.

She shook her head, " It doesn't, if anything, I'm sort of impressed of how you've dealt with it"

Remus leaned back against the tree, " I never would have guessed I'd be this lucky, I was sure you would be terrified if you found out".

" Well, I'm not" she said leaning against him.

" You're truly one fascinating creature, Doe Meadowes" he said.

She laughed, " Oh _I'm_ the creature?"

Remus rolled his eyes and kissed her again.


	28. Ch 27 The Splendid Season

27

The Splendid Season

As the year was slowly coming to an end, their days were filled with studying for exams and enjoying their last month at school. Though, not everyone's time was as joyous.

Amelia Bones had left school early, due to the fact that her aunt had been found murdered.

She wasn't the only one, a third year Hufflepuff left the castle in tears, after hearing about the death of his older brother who had just started working for the ministry.

It was scary to think that You-Know-Who was becoming organized enough to target specific people. It was beginning to get very dangerous in the wizarding world.

The sixth year Gryffindor girls were sitting in the dormitory discussing it when Mary came in, eyes full of tears clutching a letter in her hand.

" What's wrong Mary?" Doe asked.

Mary looked distressed, she had tears in her eyes as she looked at the rest of her friends.

She looked at them sadly, " My parents are moving our family to America. I'm not coming back to Hogwarts next year"

" What? Why" Lily demanded.

" They can't be serious" Marlene said.

Mary bit her lip and tears began to run down her face. She wiped them quickly.

Mary nodded, " We leave in three weeks, they think it's too dangerous in Britain with all of this You-Know-Who stuff"

" Oh, Mary!" Lily said throwing her arms around her.

The girls spent the rest of their evening upstairs in their dormitory trying to calm Mary down and convince her that everything would be alright.

News of Mary leaving, traveled quickly and soon everyone was saying goodbye to her. It hurt for her friends to think about, and Doe was taking it especially hard.

Mary had been her friend for six years, she couldn't believe she was actually leaving.

Peter had taken it very hard too. Sirius told Doe in confidence, that Peter had always fancied Mary. It felt as if everything was ending.

They finished their exams, which seemed like nothing compared to the O.W.L's from the year before, and before they knew it.

They were all heading down to the Great Hall on their last night of term to find out who had won the House Cup. The Great Hall was decorated in emerald and silver.

" Ugh, Slytherins wons" James said sitting down at the table bitterly.

" You win some, you lose some" Remus told him.

" but did we have to lose to them?" James asked stabbing a small potato with his fork.

They all ate and talked happily during the feast, enjoying their last night of term.

When the food disappeared, Dumbledore stood up at the podium and began to speak.

" As another year draws to a close I am, I am happy to say that this one has been one that I'm sure we will always remember. And even though it has encompassed sadness and loss"

Doe felt his eyes on her and then Gemma Fairview, and the rest of the people who had lost family.

" It has also been one of happiness, joy, love, and fun. Personally, I look forward to another year filled with more. So goodnight students, have a safe and wonderful summer. We will see you back next year"

They all got up and headed back to the common room. They were all tired from the day, and stuffed with food from the feast. They sat themselves in the large armchairs by the fireplace, lounging around and enjoying the last night of their sixth year.

The next morning everyone got dressed and brought their trolleys down to the Great Hall, where one of the teachers would magic them over to the Hogsmeade station.

They ate breakfast and then headed over to the gate that led them to Hogsmeade.

The Hogwarts Express was waiting for them all.

" The year went by so quickly" Lily said looking behind her at the castle.

" It really did" Doe agreed.

" Come on guys, let's board the train" Peter called from the platform.

Taking one last glance at Hogwarts, Doe climbed onto the scarlet engine with her friends.


	29. Ch 28

28

Summer Before Seventh Year

The platform was empty, or just about. There were only a few people left. Doe had been waiting for almost an hour.

She sat on her trunk, still waiting.

Her mother was supposed to pick her up. Her father always did.

" Do you want to come with us, Doe?" Sirius asked, he was standing with James and James' family.

She shook my head, " No, she's not coming. I'll just apparate" she told him.

Sirius frowned slightly, he knew better than anyone how she was feeling at the moment.

He pulled her into a tight hug, " It's only two months, you'll live."

They broke apart, " I'll see you soon, Sirius"

He smiled, " Be careful, beautiful. Don't splinch yourself".

She rolled her eyes at him and waved goodbye, watching James' father put an arm around both him and James.

Something hurt inside her. It reminded her so much of her father.

Doe pulled her trolley off to the side of the platform, gripping one side of it and trying to concentrate. As much as she had laughed off Sirius' warning, the last thing she needed was to leave an arm behind. She closed her eyes and apparated.

She felt it pull her forward, being sucked through the air.

She landed very hard on her hip. Her trunk at her feet. She landed in her kitchen, on the tile. Which was several feet to the left of the living room where she had been hoping to end up.

She got to her feet, and walked into the dining room. Her mother was sitting there, a muggle newspaper was open in front of her and she was reading it intently.

" Hello" Doe called out.

She jumped a little and turned to look at her. Her face calming down when she saw it was just Doe.

" Oh, Dorcas, it's just you. You gave me such a fright. Couldn't you have used the front door?"

Doe stared at her dumbfounded, her jaw hanging open.

" What?" She asked.

" Didn't you forget something?" Doe asked incredulously.

She blinked at her, " No".

" You were supposed to come get me," she told her angrily, " I waited there for an hour for you!"

Her mother shook her head wildly, " No. I was not going to that place. Not with all of those people there"

Doe stared at her, completely in shock. She had always been slightly uncomfortable around those with magic, but Doe had just assumed it was because she didn't have any. She had taken it too an entirely new level now.

" Those people!?" Doe practically yelled, " You mean witches and wizards? Because I AM one of those people, and so was dad!"

Her mother scowled and clutched her head between her hands, " Stop it, Dorcas. I am not in the mood"

" In the mood for what? This isn't something you can be in the mood for. It's my life" Doe reminded her.

She shook her head, " It doesn't have to be" she said getting to her feet.

Doe involuntarily took a step back from her, " Excuse me?"

" You don't have to do it!" My mother said earnestly, " you can change. You can be normal like me"

" That is ludicrous" she snapped at her, " Listen to yourself"

She shook her head again, " Please, Dorcas. I've already lost your father, I don't want to lose you too. Stay here, don't go back to that school. You can be normal with me"

She reached for her hand. Doe pulled it away from her.

" You've already lost me" she snapped through her teeth, " and Dad would be disgusted with you"

Her mother narrowed her eyes angrily.

Doe could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She pulled her wand out, remembering she could now do magic at home, and bewitched her trunk to fly to her room.

She left the room and headed for the stairs. She couldn't believe her mother. This was a new low, even for her. The tears started to flow down her face.

Doe stopped at the second floor and tried to open the door to my father's office. It didn't budge. It was locked. Her mother had locked it.

She took her wand out and pointed it at the lock, " Alohomora".

The door sprung open and she walked in.

It hadn't changed at all. It was like he was about to stride in here at any moment and tell her about his day. She sat down in the large armchair behind his desk and closed her eyes, letting the sadness and misery wash over her.

Doe's house was empty. It wasn't technically. Most of the time both she and her mother were both in it, but it didn't matter, it felt like there was nothing and no one there.

It was like her father was the only one holding their family together. He made it a home. Without him here, it was like living with a stranger.

A stranger who hated you.

After the incident on her first day home, she hadn't said a single word to her mother in two weeks. She spent all of her time in her room or locked in her father's office.

She had to keep reminding herself that this was her last summer here. Next year at this time, she would know what she was doing with her life, and she had enough gold saved up that she would be able to move out.

It was strange to think about it like that.

If her father was still alive, she probably would've ended up living at home for another year. Whether she would be an auror or a healer, both weren't far from here at all.

But that wasn't an option without him. Her mother despised everything about her world, and by extension, Doe.

It was eating her alive, slowly. Every passing minute there just reminded her of how much she missed her father.

At least at Hogwarts, she had distractions. Her friends were there and the castle was always full of magic and happiness. It made it easy to forget.

But here, everything was an irritating constant reminder.

She wished she could see Lily, Remus, or Sirius. She was going mad without someone to talk too, but they were all on vacation and there were some things you just couldn't write in a letter.

It began being too much to stay in the house, she was going to kill herself if she had to stay there much longer.

She decided a trip out would make me feel better. She figured she could go to Diagon Alley and transfer her Gringotts account.

It was a menial errand, but it was better than being home. At least there she would be surrounded by other witches and wizards.

She apparated into the Leaky Cauldron. It was relatively crowded. A few of the tables had some strange witches clustered around them.

Tom was serving a few people drinks at the bar.

Doe walked past all of them and headed towards the back of the restaurant, tapping the three bricks that opened the wall to Diagon Alley.

The streets were lined with younger kids. It always was during the summer. Doe watched as two little girls around the age of six pushed a small model dragon back and forth in front of Florean Fortescue's.

It was comforting being in Diagon Alley, almost like being back at Hogwarts.

Gringotts stood at the end of the alley. It was just as imposing as ever.

She opened the front door, and walked into the massive lobby.

There were 30 desks that stretched higher than usual towards the vaulted ceilings.

Goblins sat at each of the desks. The desk closest to her, didn't have anyone standing in front of it, so she walked over to it.

" Hello" she said to the Goblin who was sitting there.

He stopped folding the letter he was holding and raised an eyebrow at her. The look of irritation he flashed reminded her momentarily of the looks that Severus gave her.

" How can I help you?" he asked.

She handed him the form that the minister had given her, " I'd like to transfer this account to myself"

The goblin took the paper from her and studied it carefully, giving her a strange look, as if he thought she had falsified it.

" And you acquired this by death, I presume?" he asked.

Doe nodded glumly. It killed her to hear it out loud.

The goblin scribbled a few things down and handed her a new key.

" Congratulations, your new vault number is 312, if you stand over by that door, someone will take you to it"

He handed her a small canvas bag and pointed to a large brass door in the back of the bank.

She stood patiently by the door, waiting for one of the Goblins to come. Eventually one did. He stroked the door and she watched as they walked into a cave with a small rickety cart suspended on rails. She had only ever been to the lobby of Gringotts. Her father had never let her come to the vaults.

She got into the cart with the Goblin and gripped the sides as it shot off down the railroad system.

It went extremely fast. Her stomach flipped every time it dipped down or turned quickly. The goblin next to her was unphased, it was obvious that he did this often.

Eventually, the cart stopped in front of vault 312. She slowly got out of the cart and waited for the goblin to open the vault with his fingers.

When it opened, she was shocked.

Inside was stacks of gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts. She hadn't known there had been this much in here. Her mother must not have known either, or she would've insisted it be left to her, even though she had no use for wizard money.

Doe took a few scoops of gold into the bag and closed the door.

The cart ride back to the bank was just as unnerving and rickety as it been on the way down. She couldn't get out of it quicker.

Doe felt very useless. She walked around the alley for a little while, avoiding having to go home.

She was heading back to the leaky cauldron when she noticed a sign hanging in the window of Flourish and Blotts.

It read " Help Wanted".

She didn't need a job yet, she had plenty of gold. But as she looked at the sign something occurred to her. It would get her out of the house. It would be something she had to do, somewhere she had to be other than rotting of boredom in her room.

She opened the door to Flourish and Blotts and was engulfed by the smell of new books. It wasn't very crowded at all. She suspected that it would get much busier when it was closer to the beginning of the school year.

She walked over to the counter where Mr. Blotts was sitting examining a very battered copy of 'Unmasking the Faceless'.

" Mr. Blotts?" she asked.

He looked up at her, studying her face, " You go to Hogwarts, sixth or seventh year right?"

She nodded, " A seventh year" she said. It felt strange coming out of her mouth. It was the first time that she had ever said it aloud.

" Im Doe Meadowes" she said reaching out to shake his hand.

" And what can I help you with Doe?" Mr. Blotts asked.

She gestured to the 'Help Wanted' sign, " Are you still looking for someone for the position?" she asked.

Mr. Blotts nodded quickly, " Yes. Actually, were quite desperate. Nobody seems to be interested, and not a lot of parents want their children out everyday in the current climate"

" Well, I'd love to do it" she told him.

" Are you of age?" Mr. Blotts asked quickly.

" Yes, I am" she told him.

" Are you responsible? Like books?" He asked.

" Yes to both" she assured him.

" It would just be for the rest of June and July a couple days a week, my son comes back and can take over in August" Mr. Blotts told me.

" That sounds perfect" she told him.

" Well then Doe" Mr. Blotts said, " you're hired".


	30. Ch 29 Societal Contributor

29

Societal Contributor

It ended up being the best thing for Doe. Working at Flourish and Blotts was exactly what she needed. It got her out of the house almost everyday and she was always surrounded by magic and books.

Most days she just organized the shelves, or unpacked books from the storeroom, which was easy enough, except for the order of the new book ' The Monster Book of Monsters' that tried to rip her arm off. They ended up keeping those books in a cage in the back.

Besides the vicious book, everything else here seemed to fit her well. It wasn't too busy, so she actually had a lot of downtime. She spent a majority of it reading. There were so many books at her disposal.

Her only co-worker, was a 25 year old Hogwarts graduate named Declan. He used to be a Hufflepuff, and was still 'trying to figure life out'. He was not interested in books in the slightest and found it very strange that Doe read when she didn't have something to do.

Most of the time he just asked her questions about her life and played with a sneakascope.

The weeks began to fly by. Time went by quicker when she had somewhere to go and something to do.

She occasionally saw people she knew. It was refreshing to see a friendly face every once and awhile. She was still writing to both Lily and Remus constantly, but it wasn't the same as seeing them. She missed them terribly.

She had officially given up on writing to Sirius. He was awful at responding. Sometimes he did a few days later, sometimes not at all, which was very frustrating seeing as she actually missed his company.

It was mid- July and she was reading through a book about how to avoid dark curses when she heard the bell attached to the door chime and someone come in.

She didn't look up. Usually, people didn't need help, but if they did they came to the front.

" Well if it isn't the newest member of the Flourish and Blotts team?" Someone said in front of her.

She looked up to see Sirius standing there. She smiled widely and darted around to the front of the counter throwing her arms around his neck.

" Siri, you're back" she said pulling him into a tight hug. He laughed wrapping his arms around her tighter.

" Well if I had known my homecoming would be this sincere I would've stayed longer" Sirius said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and ruffling her hair.

Doe rolled her eyes at him. It had happened slowly, but somehow over the last year, Sirius had become her best friend again. She thought it had been last summer. They had spent so much time together that it was impossible not to get close. She told him just as much as Lily these days.

" Hi James" She said waving to him. He had come in behind Sirius.

James laughed, " Not as excited a response as Padfoot got I see" James said in a false hurt voice.

Sirius laughed, " Don't blame Doe, Prongs. She's had a Sirius free summer. It must be _killing_ her without me"

She shoved Sirius hard in the shoulder, " You are an idiot" she told him.

" You missed me, Meadowes"

She rolled her eyes and went back to sit behind the counter.

" So honestly," Sirius began, " How's your summer been?"

She shrugged, " I've spent a lot of time here mostly"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, " And how is Mother Meadowes?"

Doe stiffened. She didn't want to talk about it. It was embarrassing, but she had promised Sirius that she wouldn't keep things from him.

" It's bad" she told him, " without my father here, she has been ruthless"

" What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

She filled both him and James in completely on what had happened when she returned from Hogwarts.

Sirius made a small face, " I'm really sorry, Doe"

" It sucks that she's acting like that" James said.

Doe shrugged, " There's not much I can do about it".

" Well listen, I may have something that will cheer you up" James said, " You're invited to spend the last two weeks of summer with us at the Potter Manor. It'll be fun, and more fun than moping around your house".

Doe smiled, " That actually sounds great, I'll be there" she told him.

James smiled, " and look at that, I didn't even have to tell her that Remus would be there"

She grabbed a quill off of the table and hit him with it.

" Seriously though, who else did you invite?" she asked him.

" Marlene, Lily, Remus, and Peter" James said.

" Lily!?" Doe asked incredulously.

" She can't go" James said, " She won't be in town. She'll be in France"

" I'm shocked you invited her" Doe told him, " and that you two were civil enough to hold a conversation"

James smiled widely, " Actually, Lily and I have been writing each other all summer"

Doe stared at him, a small grin on her face, " James Potter, you haven't given up on her"

James grinned, " I'm never giving up on Evans, but don't tell her that"

Sirius was staring off into the corner.

" Come on Padfoot, we should go" James said.

He turned back to her, " I will see you on the 18th".

She watched them leave, glad she was able to see a few of her friends.

The next few weeks disappeared quickly. It was strange how quickly time passed when she was busy.

The summer was fading quickly and as her job ended, Mr. Blotts son returned and replaced her, she was throwing all of her time into preparing for her last year at Hogwarts.

Before she knew it, August 18th was here and she was ready to leave for James.

Doe magicked her trunk downstairs, and stood in the living room, where her mom was knitting a blanket.

" I'm leaving now" Doe told her.

She blinked at her, " School doesn't start for a couple of weeks".

" I told you, I'm staying at James', and going to school from there" Doe said.

" But why?" she asked.

" Does it even matter?" Doe asked her, " I'm never here anyway"

She looked at her and put down her knitting, " I think you should stay here".

Doe rolled her eyes, " Honestly what difference does it make if I go?" Doe asked her, " It's two weeks at James'"

She shook her head, " I meant I think you should stay here, and not go back to school"

Doe looked at her as if she had three heads, " You're kidding?"

She came towards her, clutching at Doe, " Doe, it would be so great! You could go to school here, and you wouldn't have to go back to that...that place"

Doe stepped back from her, " That place? Hogwarts is my home".

She looked like she had been slapped, and after a minute she spoke up, " You're not eighteen, I could not let you go"

" I'm of age in the wizarding world" Doe told her shaking my head, " and seeing as I'm not a muggle, your rules really don't apply"

She crossed her arms at her, " You're not going back to that school"

Doe stared at her with a look of pure anger and disgust.

" I am, I'm sorry" she told her. She grabbed the end of her trunk and closed her eyes, disapparating quickly.

Only hearing her shout " _Dorcas!_ " before she was gone.

She landed in James' living room, She recognized it from last summer when she had dropped off Sirius. It was empty.

She didn't know where everyone was and she didn't want to go roaming the halls of James' house alone, so she sat down on top of her trunk and tried to recover from the scene with her mother.

She had tried to forbid her from going to Hogwarts.

" THAT'S NOT EVEN A RULE- YOU MADE THAT UP!" Marlene's shrill voice rang through one of the hallways.

She looked up to see a dirty Marlene, Sirius and James with broomsticks hiked over their shoulders, obviously bickering about the game they had just played.

Doe was glad to see that Marlene and Sirius could still be civil towards each other.

" Doe!" She said happily running over to hug her, getting dirt all over her.

" Marley" she said hugging her back.

" I'm so glad you're here, I need another girl around here" She exclaimed throwing a furtive glance at both James and Sirius.

" Marlene you've been having so much fun with us, don't lie" James said with a smile.

Marlene rolled her eyes, " But Doe is more fun than both of you"

James and Sirius both laughed.

" Marlene, why don't show you Doe where you're staying?" James said.

Marlene gave him a sour look, " Fine, you just want me to leave because you were losing"

" Come on, Doe" Marlene said walking past James and Sirius and heading down one of the large hallways.

James' house was huge. It was large and white and built in the 1800s. It had over 15 rooms and two separate wings.

Marlene and Doe were staying in a guest room in the east wing. It was a large white bedroom with two beds.

The one closest to the door was covered with Marlene's things. It looked as if she had already moved in.

" How long have you been here?" Doe asked as she put her stuff down on the empty bed.

Marlene smiled, " Only two days. I live really close to here"

" How've you been?" Doe asked her.

She shrugged, " Summer's been really boring. We always do the same thing, and it's like all of my brother's have suddenly become adults. Nobody ever wants to do anything fun anymore"

Doe frowned, " Well they are getting older, Mar".

Marlene sighed, " I know, I've just never felt more like the baby"

" Well I am sure we will have fun now" Doe told her, " when have Sirius and James ever acted like adults?"

She laughed, " Good point".

Doe sat down next to her, " You know, I'm a little shocked that you're here, and being so nice to Sirius"

She shrugged, " We've talked. We decided it doesn't make much sense for us to be at each other's throats"

" That's very mature of you" Doe told her.

" Yeah, well, I just figured I'd have more fun if I didn't mope" she said.

She got to her feet and opened the door, " Come on, let's go"

She followed her back out of the room and towards the large sitting room, trying to mentally remember the way. James' house had a lot of doors that looked exactly the same.

"...sorry I would've come sooner, but I had to recover from, well you know" she heard a familiar voice say.

Excitement flooded Doe as she rounded the corner and realized who it was.

" Remus" she smiled as she saw him talking to James and Sirius.

He turned to her a wide smile spreading across his face, " Doe".

She practically threw herself into his open arms. He held her tightly and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. She kept her arm wrapped tightly around Remus and let her head drop onto his shoulder. She had missed him more than she knew.

" I didn't know you were here already" Remus said to her.

" We may have conveniently left that part out" James said with a smile and a shrug.

"I just got here" she assured him.

" Which means we are only waiting on Peter" Sirius said.

" Per usual" James added.

James front door opened and Mrs. Potter walked in, laden with shopping bags.

" Hi, Mum" James said.

" Do you need help Mrs. Potter?" Doe asked walking over to her, taking the bags that were about to slip from her grasp.

" You're an angel, Doe" She said as she helped her put them down on the kitchen counter.

" Oh Remus, I didn't know you had gotten here" she said walking over and giving him a hug.

" Hello, Mrs. Potter" Remus said.

Mrs. Potter looked at them all and blinked, " No, Peter?" she asked.

" He's late" James said, sitting down at one of the barstools.

" I'm sure he'll be here soon" Mrs. Potter told them.

She pulled something out of one of the bags.

" I stopped in Diagon Alley and got you all some pumpkin pasties" Mrs. Potter said pulling out a pink box from one of the magical bakeries.

" Mrs. Potter, you are the woman for me" Sirius said, as they all reached for one of the delicious treats.

Summer at the Potter's actually ended up being one of the best summer's Doe had have ever had.

James' estate was even bigger than his house, complete with tennis courts, pools, and a giant wooded area surrounding all of it. It was very relaxing to be able to be there with all of her friends, though she did wish Lily had been able to come. Peter had arrived the day after Doe did, and they all spent most of their time outside, especially in James' large pool.

James' house was always so full of fun. Both of his parent's loved him deeply, and never seemed to mind having so many people in the house.

" It feels wrong when it's empty" Mrs. Potter had told Doe.

Being here was the closest thing to normal Doe had ever experienced.

While they were there, all six of their Hogwarts letters had arrived. It didn't seem to phase James' parents at all.

" Dumbledore probably knew you were all here" Mr. Potter told them.

They opened their letters and looked at the usual lists of necessary books and supplies, she was lucky to have gotten everything already when she still worked at Flourish and Blotts.

James was opening his when something gold and shiny fell out of his letter.

He held up, a look of pure shock on his face. He was holding a large gold pin with 'Head Boy' written in a loop script.

" You?" Sirius asked in disbelief, " how'd you manage that Prongs?"

James blinked at it, " Why me? I've caused so much trouble. It must've been for you Moony"

Remus shook his head, " It's for you, it was in your letter"

James stared back at it in pure shock.

He wasn't the only one. Everyone was very confused. James was very smart, and capable of being responsible, but he and Sirius had caused so much trouble over the years it seemed impossible.

Doe thought it was going to be Remus.

James parents were thrilled, they both came over and hugged him, echoing chorus' of 'Good job Son' and ' I am so proud'.

" So is Doe our new Head Girl then?" Peter asked.

She shook her head, " It's not me" she said gesturing to her empty envelope.

" I wonder who it is then?" James asked.

Doe was curious too. Part of her had wanted it to be her. But part of her knew that there were so many other people who probably deserved it more, and who it would mean more to.

But part of her wanted it to be her.

On their last day there, they all decided to spend it outside, by the pool.

" Okay so I'm really going to miss this" Marlene said to Doe. They were sitting on the edge of the pool in their bathing suits, letting their feet dip into the water.

James, Remus, and Peter were sitting on the opposite side of the pool, talking about something in a hushed whisper.

" So what is it you think that they're talking about?" Doe asked Marlene curiously.

" No idea" Marlene said eyeing them curiously.

" Maybe this" Sirius said from behind them. In a second, he had managed to push both Marlene and Doe into the pool.

Doe was underwater, caught completely off guard. She swam upward and reached the surface, taking a deep breath.

" Sirius you are such an arse!" Marlene shrieked from beside her.

" I'm going to kill you" Doe snapped at him. Sirius just laughed, jumping into the pool with them.

James, Remus, and Peter followed him jumping into the pool as well.

Doe swam over to where Remus was.

" I hate Sirius" she said with a pout on her face.

" No you don't" Remus told her, moving a piece of hair out of her face.

" Well, he's quite irritating" she said shivering slightly as her body adjusted to the water.

She watched Marlene splash a large amount of water at James and Sirius. Peter was hanging back. Doe wondered if he still missed Mary.

Doe turned back to Remus who had just gone underwater and pushed his hair out of his face.

The t-shirt he was wearing billowed slightly and moved, exposing three red scratches deep on his shoulder.

Suddenly she understood why Remus was wearing the t-shirt. He was a fit bloke, but the t-shirt seemed to be covering scratches.

" Are you okay?" she asked staring at them in disbelief.

" Im fine" Remus said pulling his t-shirt back into place to cover them.

" When did you get those?" she asked.

Remus shook his head, " I have a few of them, there from when I turn".

Doe looked at him sadly, " Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

He put his hand over her mouth, " Doe, it's fine. There's nothing you can't say or ask me, even about that"

He moved his hand and she looked back at him, " I'm still sorry"

He sighed, " You're far too apologetic"

She grinned, " It's all part of my charm"

She leaned up to him and kissed him deeply. Even soaking wet, kissing Remus made him Doe feel warm.

Sirius splashed them quickly, " Enough you too, come join the rest of us"

" You know what, Siri" she said splashing water back at him.

And they all began splashing water at each other, marveling at how easy it was to have fun.

They decided to spend their last night of summer outside. They all sat in folding chairs around a fire pit James and Sirius had made in the far corner of the grounds. It was pitch black outside and the only light was coming from a small crescent moon, to the delight of both Remus and Doe.

James, now of age, raised his wand and lit a large fire, warming all of them.

Sirius returned from the kitchen with supplies for s'mores and a bottle of firewhiskey.

" That better not be from the kitchen" James said gesturing to the bottle, " my parent's will notice"

" Relax, Prongs" Sirius told him, " I brought it with me"

Sirius sat down beside Marlene and James.

Doe sat in Remus' lap on one of the folding chairs, in a large Puddlemore United sweatshirt.

Sirius began filling some of the cups with firewhiskey and handing them out. He passed one to her and she shook her head. She didn't want too. She wasn't the biggest fan of drinking.

" Aw Come on , Meadowes" Sirius said.

She shook her head again.

" Moony?" Sirius asked offering him the cup, giving him a look that suggested he, unlike her, didn't have a choice.

Remus sighed, taking the cup and taking a small sip.

Sirius handed the others to James, Marlene, and Peter.

Doe leaned back against Remus, watching the light from the fire dance off of everyone else's' faces.

" You alright?" Remus asked tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

" Yeah, I was just thinking" she told him.

" What about?" he asked.

She put her hand on top of his, lacing her fingers in his.

" Just the fact that we are all getting older" he said.

" That's not a bad thing" Remus said.

She nodded, " I know, it's just different".

Remus looked at her, as if trying to figure what she was talking about. After a few seconds he just shook his head, " I doubt I will ever fully understand you"

She smiled, " That's not a bad thing either" she told him.

He leaned over, " No it's not"

She grabbed the supplies to make a s'more, and broke off a piece or chocolate for Remus. Who smiled appreciatively and took a bite.

" This is officially our last night of summer" Marlene said sadly, taking a large sip from her cup of firewhiskey.

" But school is starting, and that's going to be great, Marls" Doe told her.

" It's going to be a lot of work" she corrected.

Doe rolled her eyes at her.

" We are going to be seventh years" Peter said in shock.

" To a year of fun" Sirius said raising his glass. Doe watched everyone raise their cups and take a sip.

Doe sat back watching them all and thinking how lucky they all were to have each other.


	31. Ch 30 The Platform

30

The Platform

They had stayed up far too late the night before. They had to get up early the next day and they were all exhausted. They crowded around the breakfast table in the Potter's table, most of them falling asleep in front of their plates.

" I'd like to remind you all that I told you that you would be tired" Mrs. Potter said, pouring them mugs of coffee.

" Please don't" James said his head in his hands.

Doe was practically falling asleep at the table.

At the front door, were all six of their trunks stacked up, ready to go.

Mr & Mrs. Potter joined them for breakfast. They were driving them all to the train station. Neither of them were comfortable letting them all go. Like most parents, they were too terrified of the recent murders.

Mr. Potter had hired a car from the Department of Magical Law Transportation. From the outside it looked like any other black four door car, but inside, the backseat alone sat ten. All six of them fit in the backseat comfortably, and all of their trunks fit perfectly in the trunk.

" This is extraordinary magic" Peter observed as the car sped forward, dodging in between cars that were practically parked in the traffic jam.

" The ministry can conjure some of the most profound magical objects, I've ever seen" Mr. Potter told them from the front seat.

They sat watching as the car sped quickly through the London streets. It stopped in front of King's Cross Station, and it's door flew open while they all scrambled out.

" So this is what it looks like from the outside" James commented observing the massive station in front of them.

" You've never seen the outside?" Marlene asked in disbelief.

James shrugged, " I mean we've always just apparate inside"

" Haven't you?" James asked.

Marlene shook her head.

Mr. & Mrs. Potter led them inside and they all grabbed trolleys, putting their trunks on them. It was quite a spectacle. They were attracting quite a few looks from Muggles in the station.

They were so used to it that it didn't register to them that seeing six teenagers with trunks and trolley's might be a strange site. They walked through the station and stopped in between Platforms 9 and 10.

This part of the station was practically empty, so they took turns going two at a time through the platform so they didn't attract too much attention to themselves.

As Marlene and Doe headed straight for the wall in between the two platforms, Doe couldn't help but think that this is the last time she would be doing this.

Every year for the last seven years, on September 1st she had entered the platform through this spot. It was a bittersweet moment.

When they landed on the Platform, Doe made sure to look everywhere, creating a vivid mental picture of what it looked like.

It was crowded, and bright. Most of the student's were gathered around, talking in excited clusters with the friends that they hadn't seen all summer.

Owls were hooting happily from inside their cages, or from the shoulder's of their owners.

Several parents were hugging their children and weeping, and a large paper bird was flying through the sky.

Marlene was looking around the platform with the same wistful look that Doe was.

The other's were appearing behind them in twos, until they were all standing there.

" Hey there Doe!" Alice called as she passed by with her cousin Molly Prewett.

Doe waved happily to her, almost mistaking Molly's redhead for Lily's.

" DOE! MARLEY!" a shrill voice shouted happily and Marlene and Doe instantly felt two small arms throw themselves around their necks.

Lily pulled them into a large hug, and smiled brightly, " I've missed you two, so much" she said.

A large shiny Head Girl badge was pinned to the front of Lily's sweater.

" Us too, Lil" Doe said.

" Nice badge" Marlene pointed to Lily's badge, " looks like you'll be even more of a goody two shoes than before"

Lily rolled her eyes, " I couldn't believe it when I got it".

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked over to where they were joining the conversation.

" Hello Lily," James said, " Congratulations on your badge"

Lily stared at James in shock, her mouth slightly open, " What did you just call me?"

" Lily" James repeated, " that's your name isn't it?"

Lily nodded slightly, still obviously being shocked at not being called Evans.

" Well thank you" she said and then turned to Remus, " So are you head boy?"

Remus shook his head, :" No it's not me".

" Really?" Lily asked, " who then?"

James looked at her, " Me, actually".

Lily stared back at him, more shocked than before, " but you weren't even a prefect"

James shrugged, " I don't know why"

Lily stared back at him dumbfoundedly.

" As fun as this little moment is" Sirius started, " can we go find a compartment".

The crowd on the platform was thinning, and with so many of them, that they would need to find a large compartment.

As usual, most of the compartments near the front of the train were occupied, they we went to the back where one of the larger compartments was still open.

They all sat down and watched as the last of the student's boarded the train.

" This is the last time we are going to be riding the train to Hogwarts" Doe said sadly.

" Don't get nostalgic on me, Meadowes" Sirius said sarcastically.

" Plus we'll still be riding the train back from Hogwarts" Peter said.

Doe shook her head, " Not the same".

Lily put her bag in the overhead compartment and then turned to James.

" Come on Potter, we have to go run the prefect meeting" Lily said to him.

James frowned, " Do I have too?" he asked jokingly.

Lily gave him a look of pure loathing, " You're head boy" she said sternly.

" Alright, I'm coming" James said getting up and following her out of the compartment.

" 5 Galleons she kills him first" Doe said to Sirius.

" I'll take that bet" Sirius said, " I have faith in James"

" It's not faith you'll need with Lily. She's going to have spend so much time with him that she'll kill him." Marlene pointed out.

Peter looked downright terrified, " I hate when they fight".

" Maybe they won't" Remus said optimistically.

Everyone laughed at the obvious unlikeliness of that situation.

" It could happen" Remus said softly. Doe squeezed his hand.

The train ride ended up being quite quiet. Everyone seemed to be thinking about something. Remus had curled up with a book and Doe was reading the prophet. Peter was talking to Marlene about the probability of the ministry using dementors to protect Hogwarts, and Sirius was staring absentmindedly out the window.

They were all caught off guard when the compartment door opened, and Lily and James entered, laughing.

" ….and did you see his face, it was absolutely priceless" James laughed.

" It was" Lily agreed, holding in a laugh.

" What in Merlin's name is happening to this world?" Sirius asked.

" What?" James asked.

" Lily and James.. getting along?" Marlene asked in mock horror.

Lily rolled her eyes, " We're capable of being nice".

" Where has that been for the last six years?" Doe asked her.

" Oh, quiet" Lily said sitting down next to Marlene.

Doe made eye contact with Remus, who looked pleased that he had been right about Lily and James getting along.

" What was that Doe? Sirius?" Remus asked, grinning widely.

" Hush, Lupin" Doe told him quickly.

He let out a small laugh.

It seemed as if the train ride this year was longer. It was as if it was the Hogwarts express' small gift to them. Sure it was the last time they would ride to Hogwarts but at least it would be memorable.

It was quite an enjoyable ride, surprisingly everyone was getting along. Lily and James hadn't fought once.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, they all crowded out. Ready to stretch their legs as they walked to the carriages.

Lily, Marlene, and Doe got into one of them and all of their eyes fell onto the empty seat next to Marlene, where Mary would've been sitting.

" I can't believe she won't be here this year" Marlene said sadly.

" It's weird," Doe said looking at the seat, " It feels wrong without her"

" I'm sure it'll get easier" Lily said halfheartedly, like she didn't believe it herself.

They sat in silence as the carriage took the bumpy ride to the school. It was going to be hard this year without Mary, it already felt like something was missing.

The carts pulled to a stop in front of the massive entrance to the castle. Lily, Marlene and Doe followed the rest of the 2nd years and above into the castle and into the Great Hall.

Doe looked up at the ceiling to see the night magnified largely across it. She smiled as she sat down at the house table.

The Marauders followed closely behind them. It was strange, as seventh years we were at the end of the table. Doe looked down at the rest of Gryffindor House realizing for the first time that they were the oldest ones here.

" Okay so I think I found another benefit of being a seventh year" Marlene said.

" And what is that?" Doe asked.

" Rabastan Lestrange graduated" She told me.

A smile broke out on Doe's face as she remembered this too.

" Thank Merlin" she said.

" I can't say I'm disappointed" Remus added from the other side of the table.

" Didn't like a Slytherin encroaching on your woman?" Marlene asked boldly.

" I wouldn't put it like that" Remus said, " but yes essentially"

Doe rolled her eyes, " I _hated_ Rabastan".

" Yes, but he didn't hate you" Remus reminded her.

" Well good riddance, another bloody Slytherin gone" Sirius said happily.

He was interrupted as McGonagall strode into the hall, leading a line of nervous first years behind her.

" Oh this is my favorite part" Lily said clapping her hands together happily.

The first years all stood in a collective group, fear and nervousness echoed on their tiny faces.

Doe remembered looking at the seventh years when she was being sorted, and remembered thinking that they looked so old.

It was how the first years were looking at them now.

Across the room, she saw Bellatrix whisper something to Elizabeth Merlin and Emma Vanity.

Both of them cackled in laughter.

She shook her head, knowing whatever it was that they were saying, it couldn't've been nice.

Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on the first first year's head and they all watched as he was sorted into Gryffindor.

Doe loved watching the sorting. If there was anything at Hogwarts that confused her or fascinated her the most, it was definitely the Sorting Hat.

She couldn't fathom how one magical object could see someone so well just by being worn.

The sorting went quickly today. There seemed to be less students than usual, but she was sure that that was just her imagination.

After all the first years sat down at their new house tables, the feast appeared on the tables. Met by sounds of rejoice from the student's whose stomachs had been growling during the sorting.

As usual, the feast was delicious. Doe knew the House Elves must have worked tirelessly on it.

She grabbed a chocolate cupcake from the plate that was closest to her left and handed it to Remus.

He smiled brightly, it was becoming something of a tradition for them.

" Why can't we have a feast every night?" Marlene asked taking a bite of a delicious looking apple tart.

" Then it wouldn't be special" Lily told her.

" And you wouldn't be able to fit on your broom" Sirius added.

Marlene threw him a dirty glance that made him raise his hands and say " I'm kidding, Mckinnon".

" You better be, Black" she said sternly.

The bickering between Marlene and Sirius, Doe could deal with. She was just happy that they were being nice to each other again.

There was a silence in the room as Dumbledore stood in front of the podium to address the school.

All he had to do was stand, to quiet everyone.

" Welcome students. I am so glad to see all of you here for another year at this wonderful school."

He stopped while everyone clapped loudly. Even at the high table, the teachers were joining in the cheering.

" This year is going to be another one filled with magic and fun, but to maintain such, we ask you to follow the school rules. This is for your own safety, for as many of you know, it is not the safest time at the moment. But enough dreary talk. Enjoy your first night back and have a wonderful first day back tomorrow!"

There was a shuffle as the Prefects rushed to the door to be the first ones to escort the first years.

Lily jumped up happily, " Come on, James" she said pulling him by his arm, " we have to go".

James sighed and followed Lily out of the Great Hall.

" I have a feeling that the power may be getting to young Evans head" Sirius said to Doe.

She shook my head, " She just loves this stuff, let her enjoy it"

She followed the large group to the Portrait of the Fat Lady, who was holding everyone up so that they could her sing.

Lily was arguing with her, trying to reason with her to open up, but the Fat lady just sang shrilly over her.

Lily began stomping her foot, and slightly agitated, the Fat Lady gave up and swung open, allowing the Gryffindors access to their common room.

Marlene and Doe walked straight towards their dormitory, climbing the stairs until they reached the seventh floor. Their dormitory was the highest one, and as such had the best view.

They took their usual beds and fell into them, exhausted from the long day.

" You know, I liked the climb to our dormitory better when we were first years" Doe told Marlene.

She laughed, " Tell me about it".

And they slowly fell asleep.


	32. Ch 31 The Last First Day

31

The Last First Day

Lily did not wake us up. In fact, Lily was gone when they woke up the next morning. Her bed was made and her robes were missing.

" Could it be?" Alice said waking slowly, " Lily Evans let us sleep in?"

" It's a bloody miracle" Marlene said rolling out of bed and stretching happily.

" It's weird" Doe said curiously. Lily always was the one to drag them out of bed extremely early.

Without her early waking, they were running a little late and had to dress in their uniforms quickly in order to make it to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When they got there, they realized that most of their house was already there, Marauders included.

Lily was sitting across from James, showing him a parchment. They were talking earnestly.

Staring at them in confusion, Doe sat down beside Remus.

" Good Morning" he said planting a quick kiss on her forehead.

" Morning" she told him, not taking her eyes off of James and Lily, who were still talking quickly.

" I know," Sirius said to her, " It's strange. They've been like that all morning"

Lily and James had never gone this long without having a row before. The sight of them getting along was confusing to everyone. Members of other houses had even started to notice.

Amos Diggory walked by and cast a glance.

" Lily," Marlene called to her when Amos sat down at the Hufflepuff table.

" Yes?" She asked.

" Whatever happened with Amos?" Marlene asked.

Lily's face turned bright red and she looked down, " Well we broke up actually"

" Why didn't you tell us?" Marlene asked.

Lily shrugged, " It wasn't really a big deal, we were just bored of each other"

She turned back to James, " So you see if we implemented a longer time between classes, I think it would work better"

Marlene and Doe eyed each other, knowing that there had to be more to that story than Lily was letting on.

Before they could push her further, McGonagall came to their table handing out schedules.

She handed one to each of them and stopped, eyeing Lily and James curiously, before handing them their schedules.

" You know" Professor McGonagall said to them, " I really am enjoying that both the head girl and boy are both from my house"

" But not as much as you enjoy my company, right Minnie?" Sirius interjected.

McGonagall eyed him darkly, " I am not going to be an easier on you simply because you are a seventh year, Mr. Black"

Sirius grinned, " You're already thinking about how much you're going to miss me"

McGonagall gave him a look of annoyance and continued towards the High Table.

Doe looked at her own schedule. She had all of the same classes as last year, but at N.E.W.T. level.

Part of her wished that she could have an easier schedule and drop classes like Herbology and Potions, like most of the seventh years did, but she just kept reminding herself that she needed these classes to become an auror.

She looked over at Remus' schedule pleased to find that it was identical to hers.

" We are going to have so much work" Doe said sadly.

" I'm sure it won't be too bad" He said moving her hair off of her shoulder.

Sirius had taken both Remus and Doe's schedules and he was also happy to see that he wouldn't be alone in all of the classes.

Lily's schedule matched theirs exactly. They were the only four who had a class this morning. Potions. Everyone else had dropped it.

When they finished breakfast, they all went back to the dormitories to get their Potions' books.

" So you and James are getting along well" Doe said to Lily as they rummaged in their trunks for the book.

" It's weird, " Lily said in disbelief, " He's been so human lately"

Doe laughed, " That's good isn't it?"

She shrugged, " It's different. I don't mind being around him".

They walked down the stairs and into the common room, where Remus and Sirius were waiting for them.

" Potions in the morning should be outlawed" Sirius said as they began towards the dungeons.

" Punishable by azkaban" Doe agreed.

Remus shook his head, " You two are ridiculous"

Doe stood in front of him so she was walking backwards, " But you still like me" she told him with a wide smile.

He rolled his eyes at her, "You know I do".

The door to the dungeon was open when they got there, and it looked as if the group of student's taken had diminished greatly, Severus and Bellatrix were the only Slytherins here, along with Amelia, Amos, and Stephanie Mcmillan from Hufflepuff, and Xeno, Rita, and Mafalda from Ravenclaw.

Doe sat down at one of the empty desks and Lily sat down beside her.

There was silence for a few minutes before Professor Slughorn strode into the room and stood in front of the class. He smiled brightly at all of them.

" Oh look at all these returning faces, I couldn't be more thrilled" He said slapping his hands together in excitement.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Slughorn didn't notice, " So today, I thought we would start with one of the N.E.W.T level potions that my student's are most curious about brewing".

Slughorn took out a tiny vial from the pocket of his robes. It contained a thick metallic gold substance.

" Now can anyone tell me what this is?" he asked holding it up so they all could get a good look at it.

Lily's hand shot up. She was the only one.

" Yes, Ms. Evans?" Slughorn asked.

Lily smiled proudly, puffing out her chest, " That, Professor, is Felix Felices"

Professor Slughorn smiled at her, " Yes Ms. Evans that is quite correct, take 10 points to Gryffindor!"

He held up the potion again, " Felix Felicis, or more commonly known as Liquid Luck is a potion that is particularly difficult to brew, but it is very valuable. It makes the drinker lucky for 24 hours, and as such, makes it a very powerful potion. I myself have only used it once."

They all listened to him intently. Most of the potions they made in class were not ones that they could actually use. This one, however, would be something that could be invaluable to all of them.

No one was taking their eyes off of the little bottle of gold.

" So I'd like you all to partner up and try to see if you can brew this potion, it's on pg. 33. All necessary ingredients can be found in the stores"

Lily and Doe partnered up and began going to the back to get all the supplies that they needed. It was quite a lot of ingredients. Doe read through the directions quickly and sighed. It was very difficult.

The directions contained a lot of very quick, specific steps that needed to be followed exactly.

It was a frustrating potion to brew. Every time it seemed like they were doing something right, the potion would turn a different color then it was supposed to. Both Lily and Doe were very frustrated.

Most of the other groups were having the same difficulties they were.

Doe could hear Sirius and Remus trying to get it to cooperate behind them.

An hour and a half later, the room was filled with a thick perfume from all of the brewing potions and none of them had managed to do it.

Slughorn didn't look surprised.

" I haven't ever had a student who was able to correctly brew this potion, so I don't want any of you to feel discouraged".

They went to work cleaning up the mess that all of their cauldrons contained, still slightly frustrated that known of them had managed to master it.

Slughorn took one last look around the classroom to see if anyone had gotten close to mastering it and made a face that suggested none of them had.

They left the classroom and headed towards the Defense classroom, feeling slightly disappointed.

" I wish I could drop that class" Sirius said irritably as they walked up on of the moving staircases.

" You need it" Doe told him.

He scowled, " Please don't remind me".

" Oh come on" Remus said, " Remember how awful History of Magic was"

Sirius shuddered violently, " That was worse"

They approached the Defense classroom and smiled happily. All of the seventh years were gathered around an empty classroom. An empty classroom was every seventh years dream. It meant we were having a practical lesson.

Professor Weasley was standing near the door, holding a glass jar full of spiders.

Remus and Doe both shivered slightly. Neither of them had been too keen on spiders after almost being eaten by a hundred of them in the Forbidden Forest.

James, Marlene and Peter were standing in the corner, a distance away from the Slytherins who were all clustered around looking particularly menacing.

Doe noticed Severus standing closely with Yaxley and Lucius.

She didn't wave. Severus and Doe were friends but they both understood that it made it easier if they didn't flaunt their friendship in front of their housemates, neither of which were too thrilled with their arrangement.

" So what do you think were doing?" Marlene asked eyeing the jar of spiders in the Professor's hands.

" I don't know" Doe said looking at them with the same curiosity.

" You know," Marlene stated, looking back over there, " Professor Weasley is actually pretty cute"

Everyone turned to stare at her wide eyed.

" _Marlene!"_ Lily hissed, " He is a teacher"

Marlene rolled her eyes, " Calm down, I'm just stating a fact".

Doe turned back to Sirius and James who were both eyeing Marlene with strange glances.

Remus hadn't even heard her, he was focused on Professor Weasley who had set down the jar on his desk.

The door to the classroom slammed closed and everyone quieted, waiting for the Professor to speak.

Professor Weasley cleared his throat, " I know today is your first day back, but with only a year left to study this, I think it's crucial for you all to be as prepared as possible. It's not safe in our world right now, and because of this you all need to be protected."

Everyone was hanging onto Professor Weasley's every word, except for the Slytherins who were only half paying attention.

Elizabeth had turned to Bellatrix, " It's only not safe, if you've got dirty blood"

Bellatrix snickered.

Doe could feel her hatred for both of them flowing through her. She had to force herself to ignore them and focus on what Professor Weasley was saying.

"... so to do such, today's lesson will be on Unforgivable curses"

There was a collective gasp around the room. They had heard about the unforgivable curses for their entire lives but almost none of them had ever seen them performed before.

Professor Weasley began speaking louder, " There are three unforgivable curses. And they are named appropriately, the use of any of them will be punishable by azkaban. Now can anyone name one for me?"

Bellatrix's hand shot straight up.

" Ms. Black?"

Her face curved into a wicked smile, " The cruciatus curse, Sir"

Professor Weasley nodded, " Yes. The Cruciatus curse is one that is used to torture the recipients. It mobilizes the victim with the most debilitating pain that can be experienced".

He took one of the spiders out of the jar and placed it on the table. He waited a minute before taking out his wand and pointing it directly at the spider.

" Crucio!"

The spider began squeaking violently. It's body contorted in pain and it's legs crumpled beneath it. It writhed in pain, looking like it couldn't take it.

" Stop it, Please Professor" Lily shouted quickly, her face terrified.

Professor Weasley raised his wand and the pain seemed to lift from the spider. It fell on the table. It's tiny chest heaving.

" Someone give me another one" Professor Weasley said.

Doe watched Remus tentatively raise his hand.

" Mr. Lupin?"

Remus took a deep breath, " Well Professor, there's the Imperius Curse"

Professor Weasley's mouth turned into a slight pout, " The Imperius curse is a sort of takeover. It allows the individual to cast it to have control over its victim. You essentially control them"

He pointed his wand at the spider.

" Imperio!"

The spider stood erect and waited for Professor to order it to something. Every time he ordered it to do something it followed his instructions explicitly, never deviating.

It was terrifying. These curses were used on people. People who would react just like this spider.

" And the final curse?" Professor Weasley asked.

No one raised their hands. It wasn't for lack of knowing. The final unforgivable curse was probably the most commonly known.

Doe raised her hand, and her mouth drew out into a hard line.

" Yes, Ms. Meadowes?" Professor Weasley asked.

" The killing curse, Sir" she said. Even the words tasted bitter, like they were burning her mouth.

Professor Weasley pointed his wand at the spider.

" _Avada Kedavra_!"

There was a blinding flash of green light and the spider laid dead on the table in front of them. Her entire body stiffened.

This was what happened to her father. She tried desperately not to think about it.

" Are you alright?" Remus whispered, " you're as white as a ghost"

She nodded.

Lily also looked like she was being sick.

The only ones who looked entirely unaffected where the Slytherins. Which didn't surprise any of them.

Professor Weasley turned back to them.

" This is essential. You all must understand the importance of these curses. They are dangerous and they have drastic consequences. You must all be prepared. Next class we will all go over defensive tactics to try and avoid being affected by these curses."

They all left the classroom with a sickening feeling in their stomachs, and as they walked back towards their common room, Doe couldn't help but feel like that wouldn't be the last time she witnessed those curses firsthand.


	33. Ch 32 Mischievous Men

32

Mischievous Men

Just like every other year, It didn't take long for them all to get into their routines.

The classes were getting harder and the subject matter more gruesome. Even in Herbology, they were dealing with plants that could rip your arm off in a single snap. It started to become evident that the only time that we seventh years had to themselves was the evenings and a few hours on the weekend.

One of the first few weekends of the year, Doe was in the library working on a composition for Potions when she was joined by Severus.

It was strange, Severus' friends hated her, and hers hated him, so the library was almost even ground. It was one of the few places in Hogwarts where it didn't matter what your house was.

" So how has seventh year been treating you, Sev?" Doe asked, scribbling another line on her parchment.

Severus didn't look up, " Oh just joyous, really" he said sarcastically.

Sometimes he was just plain cynical.

" You don't have too sound too cheery" Doe said with a laugh.

" I can't wait to leave this place" Severus said.

She raised an eyebrow at him. Most Hogwarts students didn't even want to think about their time at Hogwarts ending, and very few had any idea of what they wanted to when it did.

" What do you want to do when you leave?" Doe asked.

Severus shrugged, " I don't know".

" Well you must have some idea" she pressed.

" I don't." Severus said, " all I like is the dark arts"

" How reassuring" Doe commented sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes, " Studying them, Doe" he clarified.

Doe turned back to the stack of books she had accumulated, putting them all back on their proper spots on the shelf.

She had been here for a few hours and figured it was probably time for her to make an appearance in the common room.

She headed out of the library and towards Gryffindor tower, when she noticed a group of some of the Slytherins that she despised most sitting together on the grounds, a cluster of emerald and black robes.

She turned away, they had such a strange effect on her. Pure hatred coursed through her when she saw them.

Doe walked over to the Fat Lady.

" Password?" She asked quickly.

" Prancing Pixies" Doe told her.

She grinned and shook her head, " It's been changed"

" But that's what it was this morning!" she demanded.

She smile again, " Our new Heads changed it"

Doe crossed my arms in frustration. This had never happened to her in seven years at Hogwarts.

" Can't you just let me in?" Doe asked, " you've known me for seven years. You _know_ I'm a Gryffindor"

She shook her head quickly, " It's a rule. You know that"

Doe sighed and sat down. Frustrated, she leaned against the wall next to the Fat Lady.

" So are you just going to let me sit here until someone rounds the corner?" Doe asked her angrily.

The Fat Lady didn't answer her.

" Doe?" Frank Longbottom said as he rounded a corner, " why are you sitting outside?"

" Passwords been changed" she told him.

Frank smiled, " I know the new one".

He turned to the Fat Lady, " Wisteria Lagdon"

She swung open and Doe climbed through the portrait hole gratefully.

" Thank you" she told Frank, " I'd of had to sit there if you hadn't come"

Frank shook his head, " It was no problem. Don't worry about it".

She watched him walk over to the couch on the right side of the room where Alice and Molly were sitting.

Doe scanned the room and saw the Marauders sitting around the large armchairs. Lily and Marlene were nowhere in sight, so she walked over and sat down on the edge of the chair Remus was sitting in.

" Hello there" he said when she sat down.

" Hey kid" she told him, " what are you doing?"

" Planning" James said with a wide grin.

Remus sighed and Peter made a strange face.

" Did I miss something?"she asked Remus. He shook his head.

" It's a full moon" Sirius told her, " so we're planning tonight's festivities"

Doe shivered involuntarily, she know they had been doing it for two years now, but the idea of them all running around and risking their safety scared her.

" Be careful" she told Remus sternly.

He smiled, " I always am"

" I'm serious" she told him.

" Actually," Sirius interjected, " I am"

Peter stifled his laughter. Doe grabbed a pillow from the empty armchair next to her and tossed it at Sirius.

" It's not funny when you've done it a hundred times" she told him.

He shook his head, " It's still funny, love. Don't deny it"

She rolled my eyes at him.

" I think it's best to just ignore him sometimes. That's what I do" Remus told her with a laugh.

Sirius leaned back against the armchair, " You know. I think we need to do another prank. The backlash from the Pumpkin Juice Prank is wearing off"

" I agree, and something big too" James said.

Remus sighed again. Though he always participated in the marauder pranks, he didn't embody the spirit of them quite like James and Sirius did.

" What about the color-" Peter began.

" Yes" Sirius said quickly.

" Say no more" James said.

Doe was thoroughly confused. She turned to Remus for him to explain, but he just shrugged.

The portrait hole opened and Lily and Marlene walked in. They spotted Doe and hurried over.

" Doe you will not believe what Marlene did , she's awful" Lily said with huge grin.

" She's exaggerating" Marlene smiled.

" Hey Lily" James said quickly.

Lily turned to him, " Oh Hello, James"

He smiled at her, " You look nice today".

Lily's eyes widened in surprise, " Thank you, James"

He simply nodded and turned back to talk to Sirius. Lily still looked very confused.

Doe followed both Lily and Marlene up to their dormitories and sat down on their beds.

" Wait so what did Marlene do?" Doe asked.

Lily started to giggle, " She kissed both Bagman brothers"

" Marlene!" I scolded.

Marlene smiled slightly and laughed, " What can I say?"

Doe shook my head disapprovingly at her. She just smiled again, amused by her strictness.

Turns out the prank in which the Marauders had been referring to was a mass prank that affected every teacher in the school. Every teacher had been bewitched so that one singular prank affected them. Professor Binns kept turning different colors, Professor McGonagall had sprouted whiskers, Professors Slughorn's hair had turned bright blue, and everything Professor Flitwick needed hovered a few feet above his head, out of reach. It was one of the Marauders most successful pranks. It had obviously required quite a bit of challenging magic. And while the effects only lasted a day, the admiration and appreciation that the Marauders received lasted much longer. Members of all houses were quite impressed that they had been able to pull off such a complex prank. They were congratulated often in the hallways.

" I'm surprised I'm even allowed to walk next to such famous wizards" Doe said in mock shock a few days later on their way to Transfiguration.

" Oh hush" Remus said, blushing slightly.

" You should feel so lucky to spend time with us" Sirius said with a grin, " we are geniuses"

" Let's not take it that far" Peter said.

Sirius waved him off, " It was impressive Wormtail, even you were shocked we managed to pull it off"

" We almost didn't though" Remus pointed out.

" But we did" Sirius added.

Doe turned back to Lily and Marlene who were engaged in a close conversation about whether Marlene should waste her time memorizing the latest charms spell.

They walked into the transfiguration classroom and Doe took her seat next to Lily.

" What are those?" Lily asked her pointing to a stack of parchment packets sitting on McGonagall's desk.

Doe shrugged, unsure. But their questions were answered when McGonagall handed them all out. She handed Doe two. One read ' Auror Application' and the other read ' Application for the Healer Program'. Doe turned to Lily, she was clutching two labeled ' Muggle Liaison Office Application' and ' Department of Magical Cooperation Employee Applications'.

" Oh no" Lily said quietly. Her discomfort was mimicked by others around the room. Applications were a scary thought for most of them. It meant their future was impending.

When Professor McGonagall finished handing them all out she turned to face them all, " As Seventh years it is your responsibility to apply for the programs in which you hope to be accepted. Please take this class to fill them out and I will collect them at the end of class".

She sat down at her desk and they all turned back to the applications in front of them.

Doe opened the auror application and read through it.

Please List Your O.W.L Results Below:

Why Do You Want To Be an Auror?

What Skills do you possess that would help you be successful as an auror?

What benefits would you provide the auror department?

What experience do you have dealing with dark arts and or wizards?

The application had to be nearly ten pages thick. Full of questions. The Healer application was much shorter. Sighing slightly Doe began to work on both of them. Answering them to the best of her ability. It was strange to think that this packet would be transported to the Ministry, where Moody would read through each of her answers, review her test scores and decided if she would be joining the program.

Her future happiness laid in the hands of Alastor Moody.

It took nearly the entire class to finish both applications. She handed them both to McGonagall with a sense of dread as she did. It was now out of her hands.

" That was terrifying" Lily said, practically shaking.

" Tell me about it" Doe told her.

" What if I don't get either?" Lily asked in a panic.

" You're going to get both" she assured her, " You're going to change the wizarding world someday Lil."

She smiled, " And I'll do it with the help of my auror best friend"

Doe smiled at her, " What a power couple we'll be"

She laughed lightly, and they watched as the last of their class turned their applications into McGonagall.

" We really are going to be adults soon" Lily said.

Doe shook my head, " I am not ready for that"


	34. Ch 33 The Great Surprise

33

The Great Surprise

Doe was sitting in the common room reading in one of the armchairs when someone came up behind her quickly and almost gave her a heart attack.

James had appeared out of nowhere and his sudden approach had her clutching at her chest.

" James, don't sneak up on people!" she told him earnestly.

He laughed, " Sorry Doe, I didn't mean to scare you"

She took a deep breath and turned to face him, "So, whats up Potter?'  
James sat down in the armchair opposite hers and looked at her intently.

" So I have an idea and I need your help" he said matter of factly.

" Okay what?" she asked.

He smiled, " So as I am sure you know. Sirius' birthday is Saturday and I was thinking that the best way to celebrate would be a raging surprise party on the grounds near the Black Lake, and seeing as you are Sirius' other best friend, I figured you could help me plan it"

Doe nodded, " Yeah definitely. I'd love to help"

James smiled widely, " Really?"

Doe nodded quickly, " Yeah, anything for Sirius"

He grinned, " Excellent Meadowes, this is going to be great"

He got up and started to walk away, but Doe grabbed his arm to stop him.

" James?" She told him.

" Yeah?" he asked.

" I am _not_ getting the alcohol" she said sternly.

James laughter boomed through the common room.

" I'll handle the firewhiskey, Meadowes. Dont worry"

Planning Sirius' party in secret ended up being harder than Doe had thought. James had handled refreshments and managed to inform all of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff without it getting back to Sirius. However, Doe was in charge of everything else, and it was hard to make sure Sirius didn't find out anything about it.

Seeing as Sirius' birthday was also on a Hogsmeade visit, James and Peter were taking him out to distract him from the set-up for the party. Remus was staying with Doe to help her set up.

In the late afternoon, they headed down to the grounds and Remus helped, as she magically strung balloons, streamers and fairy lights from the trees near the lake.

" Where do we put this?" Remus asked.

He and Lily were holding a large banner that she had bewitched to read 'Happy Birthday Sirius' in large flashing colors.

" Across those two trees" she said indicating to the two large trees where tables were set up for food.

" Aye aye Captain" Remus said with a wink.

" Okay so James sent me with these" Otto Bagman said with a smile. He was holding a large tub of what looked like small bottles of butterbeer and larger bottles of firewhiskey.

" He assured me that you would want to see them" Otto said with a grin.

" Oh I'm sure he did" Doe told him rolling her eyes at James' idea of a joke, " You can put them over there on that table"

" Okay, Ludo should be bringing the cake and food up any second" Otto told her.

" Thank you so much" she told him, and he waved her off carrying the drinks to the table.

In the next few hours everything came together really well. Ludo did return with both the cake from Honeydukes and the food from the Kitchens. He and his brother had managed to figure out how to bewitch music to play outside that could only be heard in radius of the party. It was extraordinary.

By the time that night fell, everything was in place and people began to arrive. Doe triple checked everything to make sure it was all in place. She could feel her control freak side starting to show.

" Everything is perfect, don't worry" Remus assured her.

" I know, I'm being silly" Doe told him.

He shook his head, reaching for her hand, " You're just trying to make it good"

" Sirius never had someone to do this," she told Remus, " his parents never threw him a party"

Remus nodded, " You're a good friend, Doe. He needs you."

Doe smiled, they were interrupted by Lily running over to them from the castle. Her long hair flying behind her in a red mass as she ran quickly.

" James….is….bringing...him… up...now" she said trying to catch her breath.

" Alright guys he's coming" Doe told the crowd behind them.

Everyone gathered around and a moment later they all saw the shapes of James, Sirius, and Peter coming towards them.

" Hell yes!" Sirius said happily seeing what was assembled before him.

" Happy Birthday" Doe chanted happily.

Sirius grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug, " Knew you wouldn't forget my birthday" he said and Doe felt bad for having to avoid him all day.

" It was James' idea" she told Sirius.

Sirius turned to James and gave him an affectionate clap on the back.

" Hey I just came up with the idea, Doe did all the work" James said.

He and Doe exchanged smiles.

" Alright enough you two" Sirius said with a shake of his head.

" Let us get to the real celebration here, me!" he said practically skipping to the firewhiskey.

" I assume you're not having any?" Sirius asked holding the bottle.

Doe shook her head.

" How are we friends?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

" You love me" she told him.

He shrugged, " I tolerate you"

Doe shoved him hard on the shoulder and he laughed slightly pulling her into another hug.

The rest of the party went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially Sirius. Remus and Doe watched as he spun around the grounds, on his third cup of firewhiskey, making sure to talk to everyone and to dance to every song that played.

Even Marlene had wished him a happy birthday. Most surprisingly of all, Lily and James spent quite a bit of the party standing next to one of the large oak trees talking to one another.

" That's such a strange sight" Remus said coming over to Doe and handing her a butterbeer.

" I know" Doe said leaning against his shoulder, " What happened to hating each other?"

Remus shrugged, " People change"

" It still weird" she said staring at them.

The party continued until a little past midnight, when most of the younger students and the kids from other houses started to head back to their common room.

Doe stayed until it was just the Marauders, Lily, and Marlene.

" Well thank you for an unforgettable birthday" Sirius said. His voice was slurred slightly from the massive amounts of firewhiskey he had consumed during the night.

" You're very welcome, Padfoot" James said putting his arm underneath him to keep him steady.

" Let's do this every night" Sirius cheered raising his bottle again.

" I think you've had enough to last you awhile" James assured him.


	35. Ch 34 Slug-Covered Halloween

34

The Slug-Covered Halloween

" I'm not going and he can't make me" Sirius said loudly.

" You wouldn't want him to take it out on your grade would you?" Remus asked him.

Sirius sighed angrily.

They had just received invitations to Slughorn's.

He was hosting a Halloween Party for his most 'prized' students and surprisingly, most of the school hoped to be invited. Sirius, however did not want to go and was making it very clear.

" And we need to bring dates, why?" Sirius sighed.

" Like you'll have a problem doing that" Peter said glumly.

He hadn't received an invitation.

" Well no, I just don't want to go" Sirius said.

" You're lucky you have Doe" Sirius told Remus, " You two never even have to ask anyone".

Remus looked at Doe with a small smile, " Maybe you should try being serious with someone then" he told Sirius.

Sirius had a look of horror on his face, " No I don't think so."

" Sirius Black is the ultimate bachelor" Otto Bagman said from a few seats away.

" Don't you forget it" Sirius told him.

Everyone in the vicinity laughed slightly.

" So, Lily" James said turning around to face her.

Lily, who had previously been going over her Transfiguration homework looked up at him curiously.

" Yes James?" she asked.

" So I was thinking that maybe since you and I were both going and seeing as we're Head Boy and Girl, you might want to go with me?" James asked.

" Oh no" Peter said terrified.

" Now he's done it" Remus said with a shake of his head.

" You're mad, Prongs" Sirius said with a sigh.

" With you?" Lily asked.

James nodded, a look of uncertainty on his face.

Lily let in a small breath, " Okay".

Everyone's within ear shot all snapped their heads up to look at her. Jaws were dropping up and down the Gryffindor table.

Lily and James were going to a party together as dates. Many thought the world was coming to an end.

" Lily said yes?" Peter asked in disbelief.

" Bloody hell" Sirius mimicked.

James smacked him hard on the shoulder and turned back to Lily.

" Great, I'll meet you in the common room at seven on Friday" James said quickly.

Lily just nodded, color rising to her cheeks.

Doe eyed her curiously. Lily shook her head, and she figured they would talk about it later.

" I cannot believe you said yes to James Potter of all people" Marlene said in shock the morning of Halloween, during their charms lesson.

They were attempting to turn vinegar into water, and they were trying very hard to get it correct because Professor Flitwick made it very clear that they would all be trying it at the end of the class to ensure they had done it correctly. Doe's still smelled highly acidic.

" I don't know what came over me" Lily said quietly.

" Well he's been very pleasant lately, nice even" Doe told her.

" But it's James" Lily said.

" So?" she told her, " If he's changed for the good, then you should embrace it"

She sighed, "I suppose you're right"

" I am" Doe told her.

She dipped her fingers in the vinegar and flicked some at Doe.

" Watch it Evans" she told her, " or I'll tell James how evil you are"

Lily rolled her eyes at her and turned back to the vinegar.

Later in the evening, Lily and Doe went back to their dormitories to get ready for the party. Doe didn't really feel like going, but Slughorn was very insistent that he didn't like students to miss them.

Doe pulled the dress that she had worn to the ministry Christmas party last year out of her trunk and put it on. Lily was wearing a purple one that she had borrowed from Alice Prewett.

" You look really nice" she told her.

Lily smiled and then her face fell a little, " I'm nervous is that weird?"

Doe laughed, " No, it is a date for you after all".

She smiled again, " Weird huh?"

Doe nodded and wrapped her arm around Lily, hugging her tightly.

They walked down stairs and found Remus and James sitting in chairs in front of the fire, talking quickly about something.

Both of them looked up at them and got to their feet.

Lily stiffened next to Doe. Doe elbowed her to get her to move and she did.

" You look nice Lily" James said, he ran his hand through his hair quickly.

Lily smiled, " Thank you, so do you".

Doe grabbed Remus' hand and led him away from them, giving them some privacy.

" You look beautiful" he told her as they walked out of the common room.

" Thank you," Doe said leaning up on her toes to kiss him quickly.

He grinned when they broke apart and they made their way towards the dungeons. Slughorn's classical music could be heard from down the castle. The door was propped open and they noticed that his quarters had been completely decorated in orange and black. Large Black sheer curtains had been strung up everywhere to create a ballroom.

" Aw Ms. Meadowes, Mr. Lupin, glad you could make it!" Slughorn said happily greeting them at the door.

Remus squeezed Doe's hand.

" Thank you for inviting us, Professor" she told him.

" Two of my most successful potions students? Of course" Slughorn said clapping Remus on the back and walking past them to greet the people who entered behind them.

" Let's get something to drink" Remus suggested and led them to the drink station.

" These are always the strangest collection of people" Remus said observing the strange mixture of years and houses present in the room.

" Only the best and the brightest" Doe said in an impression of Professor Slughorn.

" Those worthy of the wall" Remus said humorously mimicking Slughorn as Doe had.

" He is an odd one himself though" Doe said watching as he downed a glass of scotch before greeting the next students who entered.

" I think he's a little odd, but he's a good person beneath it" Remus said.

Doe looked at him with a huge smile.

He narrowed his eyes, " Wait what did I say?" he asked.

" I love you," she told him.

He grinned, " I love you too" he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

" I'm not complaining" he said, " But why the sudden profession of love?"

Doe laughed, " You, Remus Lupin, see the good in everyone"

He smiled too and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Severus walked over and filled the glass in his hands with butterbeer.

" Hi Severus" Doe said.

He looked up, " I have to stay until at least 9" he said sadly.

" Not having fun?" she asked.

He gave her a dark look. Doe laughed lightly.

" Sorry, I forgot you hate any gathering with more than one Gryffindor" Doe said.

Severus sighed, " Hello Lupin" he said acknowledging Remus.

Remus lifted his glass in acknowledgment.

" I'll see you later, Doe" Severus said wandering back to the group of Slytherins he came with.

" Remind me again why you two are friends?" Remus asked Doe, his distaste for Severus very clear.

" He's not all bad" she assured him.

Doe noticed Lily and James were in one of the other corners talking earnestly, large smiles were plastered on both of their faces.

Sirius was standing by the Hufflepuffs, drink in hand, looking around the room while his date, a sixth year Hufflepuff babbled next to him.

Remus and Doe made their way around the room mingling for a little a while and occasionally chatting with Slughorn, when he came around.

After being there for about two hours, Doe was already bored.

She turned to Remus, whose face which echoed the boredom that she felt.

" You want to get out of here?" she asked him.

His face broke out into a smile, " Thank you, yes"

Doe grinned and led him out of the room. The dungeons were freezing at night. The castle warmed slightly the further they got from the them. On the fourth floor, they noticed an empty classroom. The door surprisingly wasn't locked.

" Come on" Doe said and pulled Remus into it.

" Why are we here?" Remus asked.

Doe didn't answer him. Instead she reached up and kissed him. He smiled and wrapped his hands around her waist deepening the kiss.

Her arms were secured around his neck and his skin felt so warm against hers.

The door to the classroom opened and they broke apart quickly.

Filch entered the classroom, holding Mrs. Norris in his arms. It was the second time that Filch had caught them in an indecent moment at Hogwarts. Doe could feel herself blushing.

" What are you doing in here?" he snapped.

" We were just leaving Slughorn's party" Remus said quickly, slightly out of breath.

Filch eyed him angrily, " Well then you should go back to your common room now before I give you both detentions".

Nodding quickly, Remus and Doe left the classroom and walked quickly towards the common room. Once far enough away, they both burst into uncontrollable laughter.

" Of all the people" Remus managed to get out, " it had to be Filch again"

" So embarrassing" Doe said putting her face in her hands.

Remus laughed again, and then kissed her forehead, " You're beautiful when you're embarrassed, you know that?"

She looked up at him, pouting slightly, " You're ridiculous"

He laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the common room after him.

The next day was Saturday, which to most of the people who had gone to Slughorn's party, was a gift. Most of them had stayed up so late that they needed to sleep in. Lily had gotten back before Doe went to sleep, so she didn't wake her up in the morning. Doe just took a book downstairs and sat in one of the armchairs in the common room. There were few people down there. Just as she sat down, the portrait hole opened, and a disheveled Sirius, dressed in yesterday's dress robes walked in.

He saw her sitting there and sat down in the chair next to her, stretching his legs over the edge.

" Look at you on your little walk of shame" Doe said to him with a small grin.

" Ha Ha" he said, " I'm sorry I can't be as sneaky about it as you and Moony".

Doe's face blushed bright red. She and Remus hadn't ever done that.

Sirius looked up, " Actually come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you sneaking out of our room"

Doe kept blushing furiously.

" You two have done it, haven't you?" Sirius asked an eyebrow raised.

Doe didn't look up from her book. Her whole face had to be bright red.

" You haven't!?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

Doe grabbed the pillow from the chair and hit him with it.

" Be quiet would you? I don't want all of Gryffindor to know" she snapped.

Sirius made a face, " But you two have been together for two years"

" Were taking it slow, okay?" she said venomously.

Sirius raised his hands in defense, " Do what you want".

She threw him an angry glance.

" Alright Meadowes, calm down." he said.

It was silent for a minute and Doe turned back to her book.

" I still think it's weird" Sirius said quietly.

Doe grabbed the pillow and hit him with it again until he promised he would stop talking about it.


	36. Ch 35 The Approaching Season

35

The Approaching Season

As the first Quidditch game of the season against Ravenclaw neared closer, the team spent almost all of their time on the field. Marlene, Sirius, and James didn't do much besides practice, eat, and sleep.

Meanwhile, Lily was practically bouncing every time they were around. Her 'date' with James had apparently gone well but now Lily didn't know hot to act around him and it made her quite anxious.

On the morning of the first game they all headed down to the pitch. It was a clear day, sunny day. Perfect Quidditch weather. Remus, Peter and Lily, and Doe found seats at the top of the tower and crowded close together to watch the start of the game.

The teachers were directly across from them and most of them had all turned out to watch, most remaining impartial, except for both Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, who both brandished Gryffindor and Ravenclaw scarves proudly. Doe noticed Professor Weasley standing there looking like he was very uncomfortable.

Mafalda Hopkirk sat proudly beside Professor Dumbledore, her wand out ready to start announcing.

Both teams flew out onto the field and were met with an uproar of cheering from both houses.

As soon as the game began, everyone was watching intently.

" SO RAVENCLAW STARTS THE GAME WITH A SCORE AND YES THEY DID THEY JUST SCORED AGAIN, AND THAT WAS ONE BLOCKED BY KEEPER OTTO BAGMAN, RAVENCLAW CHASER STOPPED BY BLUDGER THROWN BY GRYFFINDOR BEATER SIRIUS BLACK. RAVENCLAW SCORES AGAIN, AND YES ONCE MORE RAVENCLAW SCORES"

The game wasn't going well. 45 Minutes in and Gryffindor was losing 50 to 120. The Gryffindor Players looked determined at this point. Marlene kept getting possession of the quaffle and trying to score but she was being blocked by the Ravenclaw keeper.

James was on his broom and hovered high above the pitch. He stopped, and then flew forward obviously spotting something.

When he returned back into view, he was proudly brandishing the snitch in his hands.

The Gryffindor section broke out into loud screams, realizing they had won.

" AND JAMES POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH MEANING GRYFFINDOR WINS"

" James just won that for us" Peter said in admiration.

" He did" Lily said in shock.

They all made their way to the common room where a party was in full swing and all of Gryffindor was congratulating James on his performance. He, Sirius, and Marlene were all still in their robes and covered in dirt from the pitch.

" James, that was really a good move catching the snitch like that!" Lily said to him happily. James turned away from the people cheering his name to smile widely at Lily.

" Thank you Lily, that means a lot" James said running his hands through his hair.

Lily smiled, " Good, I'm glad".

They both paused for a second and then something happened very quickly.

James grabbed Lily and pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply. They all froze waiting for Lily to push him off of her or get angry. But she didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck.

The entire common room burst into loud cheers.

Lily and James both broke apart, slightly pink and smiled. James grabbed her hand tightly and smiled at her.

" Finally" Remus whispered in Doe's ear.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

" About time" she agreed.


	37. Ch 36 The Unfortunate Irony

36

The Unfortunate Irony

They walked into Defense Against the Dark Arts completely unaware of what an uncomfortable lesson it was going to be. When they got in there, all of the desks were in place for a lecture and on the board in thick letters was ' Lycanthropy'.

Remus stiffened when they walked into the room. His entire body shook slightly and his face was very pale. Doe looked at him nervously and saw that James and Sirius were looking at him with the same expression. Doe took Remus' hand and sat down in Peter's usual seat next to him. Understanding, James sat down next to Lily, and Sirius and Peter took the seats behind Doe and Remus.

Remus still hadn't said a word. He just sat quietly staring at the board.

She reached across the table and kissed him quickly on the cheek reassuringly.

His mouth quivered slightly and he placed his hand on top of hers.

Professor Weasley strode out of the room and stood in front of the board.

" Today we will be discussing Lycanthropy, so please turn to page 394 in your books"

" What's lycanthropy?" Elizabeth asked from besides Bellatrix.

" Werewolves, Merlin" Lucius told her.

" owwwwwwwwwoohhhhhhhhhhhh" Rodolphus threw his head back and howled, in an impression of a wolf.

Remus turned forward pointedly.

" Lycanthropy" Professor Weasley stated, " Is the disease that causes Werewolves. It is transferred by being bitten by a fully morphed werewolf, or in some rare cases, the gene can be present in the offspring of an infected individual. Now a werewolf differs from an animagus, in that a werewolf cannot control when they phase. Once a month, on every full moon, the individual transforms into a wolf. The transformation process is very painful and when it is finished, they werewolf is no longer fully aware of the individual they were before it. Now, let's discuss the proper ways to identify werewolves and how to track them".

They were all silent as we took notes on what Professor Weasley said. Doe watched Remus as he wrote down a perfect recollection of what Professor Weasley said, grimacing slightly at some of the more detailed parts.

At the end of class Professor Weasley turned to them, " Now I want a foot long composition due at the end of the week on recognizing werewolves".

Elizabeth shuddered, " Werewolves terrify me, we should just round them all up and get rid of them"

Beside her, Doe saw Remus look down sadly and grab his stuff. He left the room quickly, with James, Sirius and Doe at his heels.

Doe caught up with him in the corridor, " Hey do you want to go to the grounds or something?" she asked him.

He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed, " No, I think I'm just going to go up to the dormitories" he said and walked away.

She stood in the corridor and watched him walk away.

" It's okay, he always gets like this when we study them" Sirius said coming up beside her.

" Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

" He just needs to be alone, come on" Sirius said leading her towards the common room.

Lily and James sat down in one of the large couches in the corner, so Sirius, Peter and Doe sat down on the opposite side of the room in an effort to give them some privacy, they had been spending all of their time together lately.

Doe pulled out her Potions composition and began working on it. She hoped it would distract her so she wouldn't worry too much about Remus.

" You're unbelievable" Sirius said watching her begin to write.

" What?" she asked.

" That isn't due for a week" Sirius said shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes and kept writing it.

A few hours passed, and Remus still hadn't come down for dinner.

" Should one of you go see if he wants to come down?" she asked Sirius and Peter.

Sirius shook his head, " Nah, he'll come down if he gets hungry enough".

Remus didn't come to dinner.

Doe spent the whole dinner laughing at the new politeness/frustration that was the relationship between Lily and James. It seemed as if being in a relationship had both maintained their new niceness but also exemplified there bickering. However surprising it was, it seemed to work well. They were very big into public displays of affection.

At the end of dinner, Doe decided to head down to the library. She didn't want to be sitting in the common room. She wouldn't be able to stop herself from worrying about Remus.

She noticed happily that Severus was sitting in there too. She joined him.

" Hey Severus"

" Hello Doe"

He scribbled angrily on a piece of parchment.

" What did that parchment ever do to you?" she asked lightly.

He looked at her, looking more angry than she had ever seen him " Can I ask you something?"

" Sure" she told him.

He looked back down at the parchment, " How the hell did Lily end up with James Potter?"

Doe sighed. She had forgotten that Lily and James were so public that even the Slytherins knew.

" I'm sorry, Severus. I know you don't like him" she said.

" She didn't like him either" Severus snapped, " when did that change?"

" He's been nice to her lately, I think he's changed" she said.

Severus shook his head, " He is impervious to change. I'm sure it's all an act and he's just as arrogant and lazy as before".

She shrugged. She didn't know what to say. She doubted Severus would ever like James, or vice versa.

" I'm sorry" Severus said after a minute, " that isn't your problem"

Doe shook her head, " You can tell me things, Severus. That's what friends do"

Severus just kept writing things down on the parchment. Doe felt for him. She knew he really did care for Lily.

" Hey Severus, Can I borrow Doe for a second?" a voice said behind them.

Remus was standing there looking exhausted.

" I don't care" Severus said.

Doe turned to Remus, " Sure".

She gathered her stuff and followed Remus out of the library.

" When I came down, Sirius told me you worried about me" Remus said in the corridor.

" Sirius needs to learn to keep his mouth shut" she said quietly.

Remus stopped her, so that she was facing him, " I'm fine. I was being dramatic, you don't need to worry"

" No you weren't" she told him.

He frowned, " I just don't want anyone to find out"

Doe sighed, " You know, it might not be so bad if someone did, I was fine with it" she told him.

He shook his head, " Not everyone is you. Most people don't accept it. It scares them so they condemn us, it's not socially acceptable"

" Well, screw them" she told him, " You are a wonderful person, and I am sure much better than they are"

Remus smiled slightly.

She grabbed his face and kissed him quickly.

" I don't know how you can still want to do that after everything you heard Professor Weasley say today" he said softly.

" It's not you, it's something that happened to you" she told him.

He pulled her against him into a tight hug, and buried his face in her hair.


	38. Ch 37 A Sweet Holiday

37

A Sweet Holiday

It seemed as if the months between Halloween and Christmas disappeared because before any of them knew it, the castle was covered in a blanket of white snow and every corner of the castle held a large white fern. The air outside was so cold that they all spent most of their nights during the break curled up in front of the fire.

On Christmas Eve, Lily and Doe snuck down to the Hogwarts kitchens and managed to convince the elves to give them seven mugs of hot chocolate.

They quietly snuck back up to the common room and brought the warm drinks to the Marauders and Marlene.

" I am impressed you two" James said, " It takes effort to have the elves make hot chocolate"

Lily smiled, " Doe and I are quite persuasive" she said and sat down next to James.

Doe grabbed a hot chocolate and handed it to Remus, sitting down in front of him, letting him pull her against his chest.

" Thank you" Remus said pulling her closer to him.

" Just feeding your chocolate addiction" she assured him.

It was one of the moments in life that Doe cherished most. Sitting in the common room, surrounded by the people she cared about most was how she wanted to spend every night.

" It is our last Christmas here" Marlene said looking around the lavishley decorated common room.

" Don't depress me Marlene" Peter said chugging his hot chocolate.

All over the common room it seemed like every Gryffindor was enjoying themselves.

This was exactly the kind of thing Doe was going to miss most next year. She leaned back against Remus and he tucked her hair behind her ear.

Across from them, Lily leaned up and kissed James happily.

" Alright enough of this couple affection" Sirius said eyeing the four of them reproachfully.

" Sorry Padfoot" James said with a quick laugh.

They spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire until very late.

At some point during the night, Doe had fallen asleep against Remus. He woke her up gently.

" Doe," he said stroking her arm.

" Mm?" she asked groggily, her eyes still closed, as she pushed herself closer to him. He laughed lightly.

" Doe, it's late. Don't you want to go to sleep in your bed?" Remus asked.

" It looks like she wants to go to yours" James said stifling a laugh.

" Shut up, James" Doe grumbled from her sleep.

Several people around them laughed, and it pulled her out of her sleep.

She opened her eyes, and she stretched, pulling herself off of Remus. Lily was standing next to James, looking as tired as Doe felt.

Doe leaned down and kissed Remus quickly before following her up to to their dormitories.

Doe woke up the next morning with the realization that this was the first Christmas of many that she would be experiencing without her dad. The thought made her almost not want to get out of bed.

But Lily and Marlene were not quite as sad, they jumped on the edge of her bed begging her to get up, before walking back to their own beds and opening their presents.

Doe turned to her own and opened the gifts from Marlene and Mary, who had chipped in and bought her the complete set of 'Monte Poste Potions'.

" Thank you guys!" she said happily, they just nodded opening the rest of their gifts.

They both opened their gifts from her and loved the engraved gold bracelets she had given them.

There were two more presents. The first was wrapped in brown paper and had a return address for the Ministry of Magic. she opened it and found a framed picture of her and her father.

The note underneath it read,

Ms. Meadowes,

This sat on your father's desk everyday, and we thought it time it was returned to you. We hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Yours Most Sincerely,

The Magical Law Enforcement Team

She took the picture frame and laid it gingerly next to the stack of books. The last present also came with a note. It was a thick silver cuff with a large purple stone in the middle, she opened the note and almost dropped it from shock.

DOe,

I am gifting you with this family heirloom in the hopes that it inspires you to rekindle your relationship with your family. Your father ostracized himself from us by committing unspeakable acts and disgracing the name of our family by mixing our pureblood line with muggle blood. However, seeing as he is no longer with us, and you have no control over who your parents, we urge you to contact us.

Sincerely,

Elphibus Meadowes

Doe wanted to shred it. Elphibus Meadowes, that was her grandfather. The family that had disowned her father for marrying her mother. She crumpled the note and took both it and the bracelet and dropped them in the bottom of her trunk. She had no interest in either.

Instead, she just dressed for the day. Putting on a warm sweater, because of the frigid weather that made the whole castle freezing.

Lily and Marlene were both dressed too, and desperate to go downstairs. Marlene was planning on spending the day with Otto Bagman, and Lily wanted to see James no doubt.

They all went downstairs.

Surprisingly, for the first time since first year. The Marauders were all downstairs already. Dressed warmly and seated around the fire.

" James, I have your present" Lily said handing it to him, and sitting in his lap.

Doe laughed at how excited they were. Their new relationship was so strange to watch.

" Happy Christmas" Remus said scooting over on the couch so that she could sit right next to him. He wrapped his arm around her.

" Here's your present" she said handing him the wrapped package. He took it and grabbed a brown paper package and handed it to her.

She watched Remus open it and smiled how he laughed when he saw it.

" You're hilarious" he said rolling his eyes.

" Its practical, you've got to admit" she told him.

She had gotten him a watch that looked just like any other but when you clicked the small button on the side, it allowed you to chart the full moon.

" It's actually brilliant, I love it" He said kissing her cheek.

" Open yours" he said.

She pulled the paper off and out fell a small cylindrical object. It was silver and had a clear top.

" A sneakoscope?" she asked excitedly.

He nodded.

" This is amazing, I have always wanted one!" she told him happily. A sneakoscope lit up and went off whenever you were around someone who wasn't trustworthy.

" I figured that you would be an auror soon, and it might come in handy" Remus told her.

" It's perfect" she said squeezing his hand.

" Oh Sirius, Peter, James here" she said handing them their presents.

She had gotten James a pair of new seeker gloves, Peter a foe glass, and Sirius a penknife with attachments that could open any locked door.

James had gotten her a book on Complex Transfiguration spells, and Peter had gotten her a box of pumpkin pasties.

She opened the present from Sirius. Inside was her Puddlemore United T-shirt he had stolen.

" This is mine, Sirius" she told him.

He laughed, " Hence the returning it to you, your actual present is underneath it"

Doe lifted her t-shirt and found a small pocket mirror. Doe lifted it eyeing it curiously.

" It's a link mirror" Sirius said, " you can use it to talk to me, I have the other one"

" What an extraordinary bit of magic" she said lifting it up, " thank you"

" Your welcome" Sirius said.

They spent the rest of the morning around the common room. Around noon they all started to get really hungry.

" I have an idea" James said happily.

" Why does that scare me?" Lily asked.

" No, it's a good one" James assured her.

He looked to Remus and Sirius.

" The one eyed witch?" James asked.

" Definitely" Remus said happily.

" Yes, let's do it" Sirius said happily.

" Do what?" Doe asked.

" Come on" Remus said getting to his feet and pulling me after to him, " you'll like this".

Marlene had gone off somewhere, so the six of them walked into the castle. Lily and Doe following behind Remus and James.

" So where are we going?" Lily asked.

" You'll see" James said quickly.

" Are we breaking school rules?" Lily asked quietly, she was clutching James hands.

James didn't answer, he just smiled. Lily sighed.

The stopped on the seventh floor and crowded around a large statue of a one-eyed witch. They had all seen it before and passed it often when they took Divination.

Doe watched as James lifted the head, and it swung backward like a hatch, revealing an opening.

" It's a passageway!" she said in disbelief.

James nodded, " It leads out of the castle"

" Where to?" Lily asked.

James shook his head, " You'll see".

Sirius climbed through it and they heard a small thump as he hit the floor. Peter followed after him and so did Remus.

" Come on, Doe" he called from below. His voice echoed.

She took a deep breath and climbed through it. It was only a small drop, but the cave was slippery and wet, so she slipped slightly.

" You alright?" he asked. Doe nodded slightly embarrassed.

James came through next and helped Lily get through before closing the witch's head.

They walked down the path following James. It was cold in here, the cracks in the roof let the frigid weather inside, and the water only made it worse. Luckily, it wasn't a long one. Eventually they reached an end and they watched as James moved a square tile from the roof and climbed through.

They all followed him and Doe discovered where they were.

They were in a store room. She looked at one of the boxes. It read 'Honeydukes'.

" Were in Hogsmeade?" she asked Remus. He smiled.

" I'll be back" James said and darted up a small staircase and disappeared out of sight.

The rest of them sat down on the boxes or on the floor, leaning against the wall.

James reappeared a few minutes later clutching a large paper Honeydukes bag full of treats.

" Brilliant!" Lily cheered happily.

They spent the next few hours in the Honeydukes cellar, enjoying the warmth and sampling all of the delicious treats James had bought.

They only decided to go back so that we didn't miss the feast.

They were cold and exhausted as they made their way to the Great Hall but very happy. The Great Hall was decorated as beautiful as it always was. 12 ornate trees lined the walls and strings of ornaments and garland lines the archways. Someone had also bewitched the small snowflakes from the sky, leaving everyone looking like they had severe dandruff.

Doe sat down and enjoyed the delicious assortment of food, everything from Ham and lamb chops to ripe fruit cake. Even at the high table, the teachers were all in the spirit, looking like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

When the feast was over, they all left and headed towards the common room.

Lily was walking with James arm around her and Doe was still holding Remus' hand. As they walked, they passed a group of emerald clothed Slytherins.

" Oh look, " James said to Sirius loud enough for the crowd to hear, " Snivelly"

Severus looked up at James with a look of pure loathing and drew his wand, coming towards him. James moved his arm from around Lily and drew his as well.

They stood inches from each other wands drawn.

" I could seriously hurt you, Potter" Severus snapped.

James laughed, " I'd like to see you try"

Doe let go of Remus' hand and stood in between them, both had their wands raised.

" Stop it both of you" she said grabbing both of their hands.

James lowered his instantly, not wanting to hurt Doe.

Severus began to also.

Lucius let out a strange noise, " You're going to let that Gryffindor girl stop you?"

Severus hesitated for a minute looking from Lucius to Doe, keeping his wand raised.

" Severus" Doe said evenly.

He lowered his wand slightly, but still held it there. Remus grabbed her arm pulling her away from him and out of the line of his wand.

Both Sirius and James' faces were filled with rage.

" Lets just go" she said grabbing both Sirius and James' arms and pulling them away, and towards their common room.

" He's bloody evil!" Sirius shouted when they were out of earshot, " what was he going to do, curse you?' Sirius asked Doe in fury.

" You shouldn't hang out with anymore" Remus agreed.

" He didn't curse me" she told them.

" Doesn't make it okay" James said angrily.

" He'll get his" Sirius said as he entered the common room.

Doe sighed, realizing even the Christmas spirit wasn't going to thaw the icy relationship between the Marauders and Severus.


	39. Ch 38 The Incident

38

The Incident

The Christmas Break went by far too quickly, much to the disappointment of everyone. It was very easy to get used to the two weeks of relaxation. When they got back to classes, their teachers began piling on N.E.W.T. review, realizing that the exams were only a few months away.

Their first friday back was a full moon. So in the late afternoon, Remus informed Doe that he had to go.

She frowned, " Be careful, okay?"

He nodded, " I always am"

" Don't let James and Sirius have you do anything stupid" She told him.

He smiled, " I won't. But they don't come until it's really dark anyway"

Doe frowned slightly, She didn't want him to leave.

" I'll be fine, don't worry" He told her.

Doe sighed, " I always worry, I can't help it".

He smiled at her, and bent down to kiss her one last time.

" I've really got to go or Madam Pompfrey will skin me" he said.

Doe watched him jog quickly towards the hospital wing and disappear around the corner.

She decided to go the library. She needed to read up on some her N.E.W.T. level potions. It was very empty tonight. As it was the first friday back from break, most students were spending it in the common room enjoying themselves, even Severus wasn't here.

She sat down at one of the small tables at the end of one of the shelves and began reading.

She was there for awhile. Madam Pince was the only one still there when she left. Doe noticed that it was already dark when she headed back to the common room. She stopped at one of the windows near the exit to the grounds. She could easily see the whomping willow. It comforted her knowing that somewhere deep underneath it was Remus. She froze when she saw something dart through the grounds and approach the tree. It was Severus.

Doe didn't stop to think. She ran for the door to the grounds and pushed it open tearing down the grassy lawns toward him.

" Severus!" she shouted, stopping in front of him, a few feet in front of the whomping willows frantic branches, " What are you doing here"

Severus looked at her strangely, " Sirius told me that all of the Marauder's are keeping a secret in there. He told me how to get it in"

He tried to take a step forward towards the tree.

" No!" she grabbed his arm to stop him.

" You can't go in there" she told him earnestly.

" Yeah? Why not?" He asked.

" Severus, you just can't. It's not safe" she told him.

" You know what's in there too?" Severus demanded.

Doe bit her lip and didn't answer. If she lied, Severus would be able to tell. If she told the truth, he would be even more mad.

" I'm definitely going in" Severus said trying to push past her.

" Please don't, Sev" she begged.

Doe knew that somewhere down there Remus was fully morphed into a werewolf. Severus couldn't go.

Severus drew his wand, " I am going down there"

She took a deep breath, " Then I am going with you" she said nervously.

She didn't want to go. Her body was coursing with fear at the thought of going down there, but she couldn't let Severus see, he would surely tell everyone. Maybe she could confound him on the way there.

Severus shrugged and walked towards the tree, throwing a small stone at it's base. It immobilized the trees limbs. Severus and Doe ran forward sliding down the opening in the tree. They tumbled forward and practically landed on eachother. Inside the tree, the branches began flailing again, and Severus and Doe saw a small downward sloping path.

Severus began walking, but making sure to stand behind her, probably sensing she would try something.

They walked for what seemed like a while before they got to a staircase that led upward.

Doe could feel her anxiety increasing as they approached it, knowing they must be getting closer.

" We should go back" she said earnestly.

Severus shook his head and walked up the staircase.

Doe ran after him, and grabbed him by the wrist, " Sev, please. Let's just go back" she begged.

It opened up into the empty first floor of what had to be the shrieking shack.

There was another staircase leading up to the second floor, it was the only entrance or exit. It had to be where Remus was. Severus charged for the staircase running up it quickly.

" Severus" Doe called running after him.

There was only one door up there. Severus reached for the handle.

" Severus, Don't! Please, I'm asking you as your friend" Doe begged.

Severus thrust the door open and ran in, Doe followed him quickly.

Severus stood frozen in front of the doorway.

Doe pushed past him, crouching menacingly in front of him was a fully formed werewolf. The door slammed shut behind them. The wolf looked up. It's eyes were black and its mouth was open, it's teeth curled back in a growl. It crouched ready to spring.

" Remus please, it's me. It's Doe" she begged. The massive wolf in front of her didn't show any signs of recognition, saliva dripped from it's mouth.

Doe tired to take a step backward but it advanced slightly, so she stopped moving. Her chest rising and falling.

" It's me, it's Doe" she begged again, desperate to inspire some sort of recognition.

The wolf lunged forward, and she jumped backwards landing in a pile of rubbish in the corner. The wolf leaned forward, it's massive claw scraping the side of her arm.

It fell to the side of her. She felt blood drip from her arm. The wolf got on it's feet quicker than she did and pinned her down with it's claws, it's jaw snapping in front of her face.

She tried to hold its mouth away from her but it was much stronger. It's claw were digging deeply into her left side, ripping it open.

Doe started to scream. The pain was unbearable. It's claws just kept digging deeper into her, while she tried to keep it's mouth away from her. She could feel the blood pouring from her side and drenching her. The pain was indescribable. She couldn't hold it away much longer.

Severus was still standing frozen in the doorway, not wanting to leave and not sure how to help Doe without putting himself in danger..

It all happened very quickly then.

The door swung open, and James appeared. Doe's screaming stopped for a second while he transformed into the stag and knocked the wolf off her. It's claws tearing open her side as it did. James the stag struggled with the large wolf in the other corner and Severus moved quickly towards Doe, trying to help her up.

He tried to get her to her feet, but the open wound on her side now hurt to bad to stand. Severus stood their terrified, unsure what to do.

The wolf snapped towards James and took off towards Severus and Doe. It's mouth was inches from Severus' face, when the stag knocked it away again.

Severus pulled open the door and dragged her out of the room and halfway down the stairs. Doe couldn't move, the pain was untolerable. She crumpled on the stairs, drenched in blood and crying from the pain.

" Doe, we've got to get out of here" Severus begged. The door swung open and James ran out slamming the door behind him.

" Go!" he shouted to Severus, " I've got Doe".

Severus began to take off down the path, and she felt James lift her into his arms. She screamed whenever her side was touched. She could feel both James and herself drenched in her blood as he quickly carried her through the passageway.

The pain was all she could think about. It was as if someone kept shoving four burning hot knifes into her side over and over again. Her vision was blurred from the tears.

" It'll be okay, I promise" James kept telling her.

They emerged from the willow and James hit the notch with his foot, immobilizing the branches. He began to run quickly towards the castle.

Sirius stood on the grounds a few feet from the tree.

" Prongs?" he asked, " What's wrong? What happened to Doe?"

" What the hell is wrong with you!?" James shouted at him, tears in his eyes, " Why would you send Severus down there? Moony could have killed him, he almost did!"

Doe started to cough and blood came out of her mouth.

" What happened to Doe?" Sirius asked in disbelief, tearing up slightly.

James pushed past him, quickening his pace towards the castle, " Moony got her. She's really hurt, Sirius"

Sirius ran after him, opening the door to the castle. Doe was bleeding horribly, it was everywhere.

" I didn't want her to get hurt, it was supposed to be Severus, I didn't think-" Sirius started.

" You never think!" James shouted, " This was too far, Sirius. I can't even look at you"

Sirius looked as if he had been slapped.

Doe began to hemorrhage. Her entire body moving as the intense pain spread. James thrust open the Hospital Wing door shouting for Madam Pompfrey.

" What happened!?" Madam Pompfrey demanded coming out in her dressing gown.

" Werewolf attack" James said putting Doe down on the bed.

Madam Pomfrey cut away her top to see the bloody mass of skin on the side. She poured something on it and it burned. She screamed in pain and gripped the sheets.

And suddenly, everything disappeared.

She woke up the next morning trying to pry open her heavy eyelids. She didn't instantly recognize where she was. The white walls of the Hospital Wing looked nothing like the dormitory. She tried to sit up and an intense pain shot through her. She looked down at her tightly bandaged side and the previous night's events came flooding back to her. She groaned loudly.

James, who had been sitting in the chair next to her bed, sat up.

" Doe, how are you feeling?" he asked quickly. He was still wearing the shirt from last night and he was covered in her blood.

" Awful" Doe managed, trying to lean up slightly and wincing at the pain.

" Don't move, you don't want to strain yourself" he said quickly.

" Where's Remus?" she asked quickly.

James sighed, " He's in the other room. He didn't think you'd want to see him"

" Of course I do" she said quickly.

" I figured," James said, " I'll go get him"

She laid back against her pillows. Trying to slow her breathing and not to move to much. Even slight movements caused intense pain.

The door to Madam Pompfrey's chambers opened and James came out with Remus.

Remus looked awful. His hair was disheveled and his eyes bright red and puffy like he had been crying, and the bags under his eyes looked like he hadn't slept at all. He was frantic.

His face contorted in pain when he came over to her.

He stopped at the side of her bed, " Doe I am so sorry, Please forgive me, I can't believe I hurt you" he said small tears flowing from his eyes.

" Remus it's okay, you didn't mean too. I know that" Doe said reaching for his hands.

" It's not okay" Remus said frantically, jumping back from her bed, " I could have bitten you. I could have killed you!"

" But you didn't!" she said leaning up and ignoring the pain, wincing slightly.

" Oh there's the silver lining!" Remus snapped angrily.

He looked enraged in a way that Doe had never seen before. His eyes were wild with rage.

" Remus, I'm okay. Honestly" she told him.

" You're not okay, Doe. Look at you" Remus said, " I hurt you. Do you have any idea how much blood you lost last night?"

Doe shook her head, " Remus it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself" she said.

" How can you say that?" Remus demanded, " look what I did to you!"

" It doesn't matter" She told him.

" How can that not matter!?" Remus said in angry frustration. He was pacing around the room in a manic way.

Doe crossed her arms, unsure of how to make him understand. He was watching her with concern.

" Because I love you, you idiot" she snapped at him.

Remus sighed, and his expression softened.

He walked over to the edge of the bed and took her hand.

" I love you too," he said softly, sporting a sad expression.

" Don't apologize" she told him. She tried to move and winced.

" Don't move" Remus ordered, " Do you need something? I'll get it"

" Yeah I do need something" she told him, " come here"

" Anything, what is it?" Remus asked leaning forward slightly so he could hear her.

Doe leaned up slightly and kissed him. He sighed and kissed her back before pulling away.

" You are insane" he told her.

" I know" she said.

He took the seat next to her bed that James had sat in.

He didn't let go of her hand. He just kept holding it, stroking it with his thumb and telling her how sorry he was.

She was just about to tell him to stop apologizing when the Hospital Wing door opened and Sirius walked in, carrying a plate of breakfast from the Great Hall.

" I figured you would probably be hungry" Sirius said putting it down on one of the tables.

Doe stared at Sirius in disbelief. She couldn't believe he was in there now.

" What the hell are you doing here?" she snapped at him.

Sirius looked confused. James got up from the room, throwing Sirius a dirty look before leaving.

" I was bringing you breakfast" Sirius said quietly.

" How could you do that last night?" Doe snapped angrily.

" I didn't know you were going to be there" Sirius said quickly, " it was supposed to just be Severus-"

" How could you even do that?" Doe cut him off, " Remus could have killed him. Did you even think about how that would affect him?"

Sirius didn't say anything, " No. I'm sorry"

" I can't believe you did that Sirius, I can't even look at you" Doe said she tried to readjust and was paralyzed by the pain. She bit her lip to stop from crying out.

" Wait let me help you" Sirius said coming towards her.

Remus got there first. he turned to Sirius, " I think _you've_ done enough"

Sirius' face mimicked an expression of pain and he left the room soundlessly.

Madam Pomfrey forced Doe to stay for a week. She said her injuries were very precocious and she didn't want the wounds to open up.

Lily and Marlene came up to visit her often, they had been told like the rest of the school, that it was a run in with the whomping willow.

Severus also came to visit. He only stayed for a little while and he kept throwing dark glances at Remus.

Dumbledore had told Remus and Doe that he forbid Severus to tell a soul what had happened.

Remus stayed with Doe every minute he wasn't in class.

He was trying to make up for the fact that he had been the cause of the pain, something that was still torturing him.

Doe had sneaked a peek under the bandage on the second day of being there, and saw that on her side were four very deep gashes, holding the skin on her side together. But now on her final day there, they just simply looked like four scarlet scratches.

" Now this is important" Madam Pompfrey told her as she released her, " No unnecessary or excessive exertion. Don't carry anything heavy, Don't reach upward, Don't stretch, and do not run. You do not want those injuries opening up again"

" I won't let her, " Remus assured her, " She's lucky if I don't carry her out of here"

Madam Pompfrey smiled and let them leave. It felt good to be able to be out of the Hospital Wing. Now, her side only hurt if she reached up or something touched it.

A new kind of pain washed over her when she remembered Sirius.

She, Remus and James hadn't spoken to him since it happened, and it was killing her.

She was still furious with him, but he was her best friend and it didn't feel right not talking to him. Remus wrapped an arm underneath her and helped her through the portrait hole.

They walked over to the couch were James and Lily were sitting. Remus helped her sit down on the one opposite them. She let herself lean against him. He didn't stop her. He shifted so that she could lean against him and held her there with his arm.

" Well if it isn't our little invalid?" James said.

Doe eyed him unhappily, " If I wasn't in so much pain. I would throw something at you" she told him.

" I'll do it for you" Lily told her and smacked him playfully.

Sirius came down from the dormitory and stopped when he saw them. He walked over quietly.

" Look Doe, Remus I am so sorry" he started, " I know it was stupid and I should have thought about it before I did it. I am so sorry, the last thing I wanted was either of you to be hurt and I am more sorry than you know. I promise I will never do anything like this ever again, just please forgive me."

Sirius' face was pleading. Doe had never seen him look quite so upset before.

She looked to Remus and then looked back at James.

" I forgive you, Sirius" Remus said quickly.

A small smile appeared on Sirius' face.

" I do too" James said.

Sirius turned to me, " Doe?"

His expression was desperate. He looked like he was about to cry.

She eyed him carefully, " I forgive you too" she said.

Sirius smiled and bent down to pull her into a tight hug.

" I am so sorry you got hurt," he said quickly.

" Kind of hurting me now" she said quickly. He pulled away quickly," Sorry".

Sirius sat down in the armchair next to the couches and Doe had to admit it felt better to have him with them again, it wasn't right when they were fighting.


	40. Ch 39 The Days That Follow

39

The Days That Follow

As more time passed, their schoolwork became much more difficult. Their teachers were all trying to prepare them for the N.E.W.T.s which occurred much earlier in the year than O.W.L.'s. They were all cramming so that they would be prepared for them.

Doe spent most of her time studying in the common room, because she was still healing and Remus wouldn't let her out of his sight.

She had finally convinced him one night that she would be able to handle going to the library without managing to reopen her stitches. He kissed her quickly and made her swear she would be careful.

Doe did. She was thrilled to be getting out of the common room. Sirius was always in there trying to make it up to her because of their fight.

She walked to the library and spotted Severus sitting at one of the tables.

Besides the time he visited her in the hospital wing, she hadn't spoken to Severus since the incident.

" Hi Severus" she said sitting down.

Severus slammed the book he was reading closed, " I am not speaking to you"

" What did I do?" she asked him.

He looked at her with an expression full of anger, " Oh I don't know, Doe. Let's think? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you stayed with the guy who tore you to shreds and tried to kill us both and forgave the one who sent us in there to begin with" he whispered angrily.

Doe stared at him with shock, " Neither one of them meant to do it".

Severus rolled his eyes, " You Gryffindors are all the same. Ridiculous and arrogant, and you know what? I don't want to spend any of my time with your kind anymore"

He left the library, and Doe sat there in shock.

She should feel bad, but Severus had been so horrible lately that the loss of his friendship didn't bother her the way it probably should have.

When she got back to the common room and told Remus and Sirius about it, they both had the same reaction.

" Good riddance" Remus said.

" About time, he was evil Doe" Sirius said.

Doe shrugged, Severus had been behaving badly lately but even still, she doubted he was evil.

Their N.E.W.T's came quickly, and the week they took them was very stressful.

They were their last official exams at Hogwarts. The exams were actually easier than their O.W.L.s had been, seeing as they had fewer years worth of information to remember and fewer exams to take.

A sense of relief washed over all of the seventh years as they finished them, but the stress from the exams were soon replaced by another one.

Ministry letters were due to be arriving soon, and for most of them that meant that their futures were going to be determined. Even the recent Quidditch win against Hufflepuff did little to relieve the tensions that everyone felt at the thought of finding out what they would or wouldn't be doing with their lives.

It was strange that the school year was coming nearer to the end. It felt like it was yesterday that they were boarding the train.

It was a few weeks before school officially ended when the sleek black ministry owls flew into the Great Hall during breakfast delivering the acceptance and rejection letters.

Two fell in front of her. One for each program. She grabbed the one that said 'Auror Program'.

" It's now or never, beautiful" Sirius said from further down the table, clutching an identical letter.

Doe took a deep breath and slipped open the letter.

Ms. Dorcas Meadowes,

Congratulations! I am happy to inform you that you have been accepted into the Auror Program. This program will begin with a four week training period beginning August 30th, if you make it through this training session you will move on to begin studying. Please confirm by June 23rd.

Sincerely,

Alastor Moody

Doe didn't open the one from the Healer's program, she didn't care. She was so filled with happiness it didn't matter.

She turned to Sirius, a wide smile was spreading across his face too.

" Did you get it?" she asked.

He nodded, " You?". Doe nodded too.

Sirius pulled her into a hug, " Congratulations".

Neither one of them could stop smiling. They had secured their futures.

" I'm very proud of you" Remus said.

" Did you get the internship you wanted?" Doe asked quickly.

Remus nodded holding up the letter from the Department of Magical Cooperation.

As it turned out, Lily was going to work for the Muggle Liaison Office, James would be going into Magical Games Department, and Peter would be in Misuse of Muggle artifacts. Marlene had found out that she had been accepted to be a Healer, something she didn't think was possible, and had decided to do it.

Surprisingly, Frank Longbottom had also gotten into the auror program. Doe didn't know he had even applied.

Professor McGonagall was practically beaming. The department never took on this many students, and she was obviously pleased that they were all from her house.

" This requires a celebration" James said loudly to all of the house, " party in Gryffindor tower tonight!"

" Yes! Definitely" Sirius agreed.

Remus turned to Doe, " I was going to go clean out the shrieking shack today, any chance you wanted to come with me?" he asked.

" Sure" she told him.

Sirius and James threw themselves into launching a large celebration tonight for the seventh years, so they spent most of the early morning running around getting supplies and making sure everyone knew about it.

Doe waited for Remus in the common room. He came down from the dormitory holding a small brown box and something silvery in his hands.

" What's this?" Doe asked pointing to the silvery thing in his hands.

" I'll show you, come on" Remus and they walked into the corridor.

He pulled the silvery thing from his hands. It was a cloak. He threw it over himself and Doe watched as he disappeared beneath it. She gasped. It was an invisibility cloak. Those were extremely rare.

Remus moved the cloak and reappeared, " It's James, cool huh?"

Doe felt it in her hands, " Very".

Remus smiled and threw the cloak over both of them.

They walked completely out of sight out of the castle and onto the grounds. It was kind of a murky day, darker than most of the summer days had been so far.

Remus picked up a small stone and tossed it at the opening to the Whomping Willow. The branches froze and they darted through it. Shedding the cloak once they were in the safety of the tunnel.

They began walking down the sloping path towards the shrieking shack.

Doe held Remus' hand tightly. She knew coming back here couldn't be enjoyable.

They walked into the shack and up the stairs into the only room it contained.

Walking into the room reminded her heavily of the only other time she had been in there. She shivered slightly remembering the traumatic memory.

But last time she was here, she was too distracted to really look at it. The room was large. It had a large four poster bed and stacks of books everywhere. All of them Remus'. She noticed a picture on the nightstand next to the bed. It was of Remus and Doe at the Christmas Ball the previous year. She smiled slightly, remembering how much fun it had been.

" This is the last time I'll be here" Remus said sitting down on the edge of the bed, " It's kind of surreal".

" It's good though right?" Doe said sitting down next to him on the bed.

He nodded.

" Where will you change next year?" She asked realizing she had no idea.

Sirius had been planning on buying an apartment in London, with money his Uncle Alphard had left him, and all of the marauders, Remus included, were planning on moving in with him.

" I've had to rent a small cottage in the woods outside of London" Remus said, " I can't do it at the apartment".

Doe squeezed his hand, " It's going to be okay, you know"

He nodded, " I know."

He looked at her, a thought appearing, " So now that you're going to be an auror are you going to be move into London too?" he asked.

Doe had had this thought before. She was planning on taking some of the money her father had left her and buying a small flat close to the ministry. Lily and Doe had talked about moving in together and it seemed like a good idea.

" Lily and I are going to get an apartment" Doe told him, " something close to the ministry"

He smiled, " It's really happening, we are becoming adults"

Doe laughed, " Doesn't feel like it".

He reached over and kissed her. She hadn't been expecting it, but that didn't stop her. She pulled him closer to her, deepening it and holding him tightly to her.

They shifted, so she could lean back against the pillows. Remus kissed her more intensely. She ran her hands down his back.

It hit her then just how much she loved him. He was so much a part of her, that she couldn't imagine how it had been without him.

She pulled away from him for a second, looking up at him.

" What's wrong?" Remus asked quickly.

" Nothing" she assured him, " I just think I'm ready to you know…..".

Remus looked slightly confused for a second and then his eyes widened understanding what she meant.

They had talked about it before, but at the time Doe had told him she wanted to wait, and Remus had agreed.

" Oh, Really? Are you sure?" he asked.

Doe nodded quickly, reaching up to kiss him.

She pulled her shirt over her head and discarded it. Remus took a deep breath and did the same.

She stopped for a minute. His entire chest and back were covered in scars. Some pink and fading, others more red. Her fingers traced over one of them.

" Do they hurt?" she asked lightly.

He shook his head, " Not anymore".

She looked down at her own side, where she had the exact same kind of scratch.

Remus followed her gaze and stopped, his hand reaching out to touch them. His face contorted in pain for a second before she pulled face back up to look at her, " I'm fine" she told him.

He sighed, " I really love you, you know that right?"

" I know how much I love you" she said.

He smiled and pulled her closer to him.

For a little while after, Doe just laid there next to him. Her head on his chest. He ran his hand over her hair and down her arm.

" I don't think I have ever been happier in my entire life" he said quietly.

She readjusted so that she could look at him, a large smile on her face, " I'm glad".

He pulled her closer to him so he could kiss her again.

" You know," she told him, " We probably should get around to packing your stuff" she said looking around the room.

They had been so preoccupied with each other, that they hadn't packed a thing.

Remus sighed, " I suppose you're right". He pulled her closer to him for one second and then they both got up and got dressed. They couldn't stop smiling at eachother. Even as they packed up the books and pictures from the shrieking shack they kept stealing glances at each other. It reminded her of the first time they had kissed.

They had been there for hours, so they weren't surprised when they left the tunnel and found that it was nighttime.

As they approached the common room, the party had obviously began. All of the seventh year Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuffs were crowded in the common room, drinks in hand, and were listening to the music that had been enchanted to play.

Sirius stopped us as they walked through the portrait hole, " Doe! Moony! There you are"

He had two cups in his hands, and from the smell of it, they were filled with firewhiskey.

He handed one to Remus and held the other for a second, " I'm sure resident good girl Doe Meadowes will refrain" he said.

Doe reached for the cup and took a sip. It burned slightly going down her throat. She had never had Firewhiskey at a Hogwarts party before, and it felt weird.

" Meadowes, you're breaking my heart" Sirius said with a grin and danced away to where Caradoc Dearborn and Marlene were standing,

" A drink?" Remus asked curiously.

" It's a night of firsts" She told him taking another sip.

Remus grinned widely and took another sip from his own cup.

They walked around the party talking to the other seventh years and finding out what they were planning on doing next year. Xeno Lovegood was actually joining the Department of Mysteries, something she thought was very fitting for him.

Amelia Bones came over, tears streaming down her face and told her how much she was going to miss her but was thrilled they would both be working in the ministry together, she had been invited to work for the Department of Magical law Enforcement.

" Dorcas Euphegenia Meadowes" Lily said coming over on the arm of James, " Are you drinking?"

Doe grinned taking another sip from her cup, Sirius had been periodically coming by and refilling it and she didn't even want to think about how much she had probably had.

It was strange, it seemed to loosen her up a little. Usually Remus and Doe hung back at parties but today they were socializing with everyone and it was nice.

Remus and Doe were glued to each other. They couldn't stop smiling at one another and she hadn't let go of his hand the entire time.

An hour so into the party, James stood up on one of the tables and everyone quieted slightly.

" Hogwarts 7th years, we are having this party tonight to commemorate the end of our seventh and final year at Hogwarts and to celebrate the kickass jobs we have all gotten. I am proud to say that Gryffindor House has three new badass aurors taking over."

Sirius, came over and squeezed Doe's shoulders in excitement. Frank Longbottom beamed from the corner. She was surprised to see he held Alice Prewetts hand. She was happy for them. They deserved each other.

" I am still shocked that anyone in the ministry accepted Sirius Black-" James began.

" Oi Shut it Prongsie" Sirius shouted.

James smile and turned back to the crowd " So congratulations to all, and enjoy this final Marauder party"

He jumped down from the table and the crowd burst into loud cheers of " Here, Here"

The music began again and Doe danced with Lily for a little while. Sirius kept refilling her drink, and she kept sipping it. Eventually, she began to feel the buzz. It was making her much more confident.

" Rem, come dance with me" Doe begged grabbing Remus by the wrists and leading him over to where everyone else was.

" You want to dance?" Remus asked.

Doe nodded, " Yes, please" she begged, downing the rest of her firewhiskey.

Remus looked very confused. She pulled him towards her and began spinning around and against him., the buzz from her firewhiskey taking over. Remus stood there helplessly.

" Here, mate" Sirius said grabbing her by the waist, " I'll dance with her"

Remus smile appreciatively at Sirius and sat down next to Peter, while Sirius led her to the where everyone else was dancing.

She began dancing around Sirius wildly, much to his enthusiasm.

Sirius barked with laughter, " So a little firewhiskey is all it takes for you to loosen up?"

Doe grinned from her daze, running her hands through her hair as she danced.

The room was starting to get fuzzy around the edges and then it began to spin. She lost her footing and almost fell. Sirius caught her by the elbow.

" Come on, Gorgeous, I think you're done dancing for tonight" Sirius said dragging her away from everyone.

" But whyyyy" her drunken self whined.

" Because Doe," Sirius said still shaking from laughter, "You're drunk".

" Oops" she managed with a giggle.

Sirius laughed and led her over to where Remus was sitting with James and Lily.

" She is drunk off her arse" Sirius said sitting her down.

" No I'm not" Doe said in a slight slur.

Remus wrapped his arm around her to keep her steady, " I can't believe she's drunk"

" Rem," she said drunkenly, " I love you."

He laughed, " And I love you"

Doe turned to Lily giggling uncontrollably, " He loves me".

Lily who was sitting in James' arms couldn't contain her laughter, " I know".

The room started to spin again. Remus held her in his arms and she passed out.

The party had ended a few hours later. Doe was still passed out. Remus had her head in his lap. The Marauders were the only ones still in the common room.

" This party was legendary" Sirius said proudly.

" One for the books" James exclaimed.

" Doe was drunk, that makes it famous" Peter pointed out.

" I know" Sirius said in disbelief, " Little Miss Do-Good".

Remus sighed.

" What's wrong Moony?" James asked.

" Doe may kill me, but I have tell you guys something?" Remus said quickly.

" What is it?" Sirius asked.

Remus took a deep breath, " Well yesterday before the party Doe and I went to pack up the shrieking shack and well we….. we slept together"

" Well finally" Sirius said.

" About time, Mate" James agreed.

Doe stirred slightly in her sleep, sure she wouldn't remember this in the morning.

The sun poured in through windows and Doe shifted slightly, realizing she wasn't in her bed.

She was in the common room, on a couch. Her head had been resting on Remus' shoulder. He was asleep next to her. It wasn't even seven yet. She tried to sit up. The room spun lightly and her head began to pound. Last night's events were slowly coming back to me. She had gotten drunk.

She leaned back, next to her, Remus stirred slightly.

" Doe?" he asked sleepily.

" Yeah?" she asked turning to face him.

" How you feeling" he said sitting up slightly.

" I'm hungover" she replied gloomily.

He laughed, " That's something I never thought I'd hear you say"

Doe clutched her head and groaned.

" Don't move" Remus said, " I've got a hangover cure Sirius taught me"

He took out his wand and placed it on her forehead, and said " rapturio"

The pain in her head slowly faded.

" My hero" she muttered quietly.

Remus laughed, " Coming from the auror"

She had momentarily forgotten. A new excitement course through her.

" I'm going to be an auror" she said happily, a smile spreading across her face.

" We'll both be at the ministry" Remus said kissing the top of her head.

" We're starting a whole new life" she said disbelief.

" That's not bad" Remus said, " Were growing up"

Doe sighed and pulled herself towards him, not wanting this particular memory to fade yet.


	41. Ch 40 The Last Good Few

40

The Last Good Few

The last Quidditch Match of the season was the day before Graduation, and two days before they left Hogwarts. As it was the last time they would ever be on the pitch, James Sirius and Marlene trained every single free moment that they had. It was there final opportunity to show what they could do, and it was appropriately against Slytherin.

The other houses had decided to take sides, something that only happened universally for the last match of the year.

The entire stands were a blur of scarlet and emerald. Doe even noticed some of the teachers brandishing Gryffindor scarves. Most of the Ravenclaws had adorned emerald, but a few stood out in scarlet. And every single Hufflepuff brandished scarlet and gold. The Gryffindor viewing post was a blur of scarlet and gold. Someone had even bewitched a large Lion statue to roar when it felt the game was getting too quiet.

Remus, Peter, Lily and Doe stood in the stands proudly cheering on their team.

" Lily" Doe said as the players flew onto the pitch, " Do you still want to get an apartment together?" she asked her.

Lily turned to her excitedly.

" Of course" she exclaimed, " there's no one I'd rather live with".

Doe smiled, " This is going to be great, I'll start looking as soon as we go home"

She clapped excitedly.

The game lasted a very long time. Neither Gryffindor nor Slytherin wanted to lose their last game so they both played the best game of Quidditch that Hogwarts had ever seen.

After the two hour mark, it began to get very serious.

James spotted something to his left and both he and Lucius Malfoy tore after it.

Lucius was inches from the snitch when he was knocked off his broom by a bludger sent by Sirius.

Lucius scowled and Sirius grinned brightly.

James tore after the snitch and clamped his hands around it.

The entire crowd, teachers and students alike burst into loud cheers. This meant they were tied with Slytherin for the House Cup.

They had won their last Quidditch game and all of Gryffindor house stood happily, united in their bliss.

Doe woke up on June 22nd a different person. Today was the day she would be graduating, and she wasn't ready.

There was going to be a graduation ceremony for the seventh years.

She woke up to see Lily, Marlene, and Alice all awake in their beds just laying there like she was.

" Today's the day" Marley said taking her golden hair out the bun it was in.

" Were graduating" Doe said with a sigh.

" I wish Mary could have been here" Alice said sadly.

Doe's eyes glanced over to Mary's empty bed. When she left, Doe always thought she would come back. It was a horrible realization that she hadn't.

They all got up and crept around the room. Since they were leaving tomorrow, their things were already packed.

Their attire for today was traditional uniform. It was strange to think that this would be the last time she ever wore it. When they finished getting dressed, they headed downstairs. All of the other Gryffindor seventh years were around too.

" Ready to be a Hogwarts Graduate?" Remus asked her.

Doe shook her head, " No. I don't know what I'm going to do without this place"

" Me either" Lily said sadly.

" Well" Sirius began as we walked towards the Great Hall, " that is because you two focused too much on school and neglected your social lives"

" Funny, you didn't have that problem did you?" Lily snapped.

James laughed, and Sirius narrowed his eyes.

The Great Hall was crowded with everyone enjoying breakfast. The seventh years easily distinguishable as they were the only ones in uniform.

As soon as breakfast ended, Professor McGonagall dragged them all into the Transfiguration room and lined all of the Seventh years up in alphabetical order.

Doe had Marlene in front of her, and Mulciber behind her.

What was Doe going to do when she left Hogwarts? She had to force herself to calm down.

Professor McGonagall led them into the hall and they saw that it was full of parents.

Doe scanned the crowd for her mother's face and wasn't surprised to see she wasn't there.

She should have known she wouldn't be there, that would've been something her father would have had to force her to do. Her father. Sadness washed over her, he would have wanted to be here.

They stood behind a podium where Professor Dumbledore was standing.

They were all nervous. This was what the last 7 years of their lives had led up to.

Dumbledore called each of their names and shared a memory or trait he admired about them, he even managed to make the Slytherins sound like decent people.

" Dorcas Meadowes"

When her name was called she walked over to Dumbledore. He smiled brightly.

" One of my earliest memories of Ms. Meadowes was in her first year" Dumbledore began, " She was nothing more than a petite little thing and she was carrying around a large copy of 'Hogwarts: A History' when a young Mr. Black told her she was a know it all"

Everyone laughed, Sirius grinned at her.

" And Ms. Meadowes looked at him and quoted Bathilda Bagshot " Knowledge is the key to opening a world of the unknown". Mr. Black then rolled his eyes at her, so she simply took the book and smacked him with it"

The crowd erupted into loud laughter again. Doe didn't remember that particular memory, but it sounded very much like something she would have done.

" From so wise to so childlike again. And I am happy to report that she seems to have maintained a friendship with Mr. Black"

Everyone clapped and a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it quickly and sat down with all the other A-Ms.

The other speeches were just as great. She didn't know how Dumbledore managed to remember all of that. When he finished the final student Dumbledore looked at the crowd,

" This class of students in front of me is one of the most dedicated group of individuals I have ever met. Not only are they immensely dedicated to this school, but they are dedicated to each other.

The friendships between these students are unmatched by anything. They would rally together and could withstand anything. It has been a joy to watch them grow up here and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in their futures. But I'd like them to remember that Hogwarts will always be there home"

The clapping that ensued was some of the loudest that she had ever heard.

Another tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away. They were leaving Hogwarts. It was final.

" Parents you may now meet up with your children. Hogsmeade is open and I'm sure it's fine establishments would love to provide you with a fabulous lunch" Dumbledore said happily.

Everyone moved quickly to their parents. Doe watched Lily skip over to her own parents, and watched as Peter, Marlene, and Remus did too.

Doe lingered by the front.

" Your mom didn't show?" Sirius asked.

She shook her head, " I guess not" she said sitting down on the bench, " your parents didn't either?"

Sirius shook his head, " But I expected as much"

" Were all the family we need" Sirius assured her wrapping an arm around her, " Congrats on graduating Dorky".

Doe rolled her eyes at the childhood nickname.

James, Peter, Remus, Lily, and their families walked over.

" Congratulations kids" Mr. Potter said putting two arms around both Doe and Sirius, " you up for lunch at the three broomsticks?" he asked enthusiastically.

" I don't want to intrude" Doe said quickly.

" Nonsense" Mrs. Potter said quickly, " You're both coming with us"

" Well I'm starving, so let's go eat" Sirius said leading them to Hogsmeade.

Remus walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

" We are officially graduates" Remus said happily.

Doe squeezed his hand.

" I swear Doe, you get more beautiful every time I see you" Mrs. Lupin said happily.

" Thank you so much" she told her, blushing furiously.

Remus pulled me against, " I tend to agree".

The large group of them walked down to Hogsmeade to and towards the three broomsticks. The restaurant was already crowded with students and their parents.

Their massive group required three tables. The adults sat at one end and the students sat at the other.

" Do you realize we will be getting on the Hogwarts Express for the last time tomorrow?" Peter asked.

" Why would you say that?" Marlene said throwing a chip at him.

" Can you believe we will be living on our own?" Lily asked.

" Mrs. Potter!?" Sirius exclaimed, " What am I going to do without you?"

Mrs. Potter smiled, " I'm sure you and James will be just fine".

" No more Mrs. Potter, no more Minnie, how will I live?" Sirius asked in mock horror.

Doe let her head fall on Remus' shoulder. He squeezed her knee beneath the table.

" Doe, " Mrs. Evans called from further down the table, " Let me know when you and Lily find an apartment and we can help you check it out"

" I will, don't worry" Doe assured them.

She couldn't believe that soon she and Lily would be living in our own apartment.

They finished their meal and everyone began saying goodbye. They started to leave.

" Doe, could I have a word with you?" Mr. Potter asked.

Doe stopped by the exit.

Mr. Potter took a deep breath, " I just wanted to let you know, that I heard about your acceptance into the auror program. I knew you father a long time and I know he would be very proud of you"

Doe smiled, tears forming in her eyes " Thank you very much. That means a lot".

He hugged her tightly, " I know it must be hard with your mom, so if you ever need anything, let me know"

" Thank you" she told him.

She left the three broomsticks with a strange feeling in her stomach.

" You alright?" Remus asked.

She nodded quickly, " I'm fine."

They all spent the next few hours in Gryffindor common room, enjoying their final hours there. They all reminisced on their time at Hogwarts and the best pranks that the Marauders had pulled off.

When it was finally time for the feast, the entire school was buzzing about who had won the house cup. It had been very close, so no one knew the final results.

As they entered the Great Hall, they saw it was decorated in a mass of Scarlet and Gold.

All of Gryffindor cheered loudly. They had won. They erupted into cheers. A united feeling welled up inside of all of them

The feast was delicious and somehow Doe knew she would desperately miss Hogwarts food.

When it was over, Dumbledore stood up to the podium,

" This was a wonderful year at Hogwarts. It was filled with many memories that I am sure we will all carry with us, I look forward to next year"

There was a shuffle as everyone got up to leave the Great Hall.

" Come on, time to go" James said grabbing Lily.

" Come on" Remus said to Doe and she followed them. Marlene, Peter, and Sirius followed them towards the exit to the grounds.

" Where are we going?" Doe asked.

" A little trip to the grounds" Remus told her .

They all walked down to an empty spot on the grounds next to one of the large oak trees.

" Breaking a fundamental Hogwarts rule on our last night?" Doe asked.

" Of course" Sirius said with a bow.

They all sat down. She watched as James held Lily close to him. Doe sat down beside her.

" Now my dear friends," Sirius said with a smile, " We have all dragged you down here because we have been through too damn much to leave this place without a bang" Sirius said taking a flask from his jacket pocket.

" We say goodbye to you Dear Hogwarts, we have done a lot inside of your magical walls and we leave our legacy to you" James said loudly.

" Cheers to the place where I met you all" Lily said happily.

" Hogwarts, the place where I learned what it's like to spend time with Marauders" Doe added.

" Where I met my best friends" Peter said.

" Where I found I could trust people" Remus added.

" Where I finally got Lily to date me" James said with a wide grin.

"Where Mischief was managed" Sirius said taking a sip from his flask.

Doe looked around at all of the people in front of her and felt so much love for all of them.

When breakfast ended the next day, all of the seventh years were practically in tears. As they walked out toward the platform, their trunks flew behind them.

" We're getting on the train for the last time" Marlene gushed.

" Marley stop" Lily said wiping the tears from her sleeve.

" No crying" Sirius ordered.

Remus laughed as he grabbed her hand.

They all crowded into one compartment on the train, except for Marlene who decided to sit with Caradoc Dearborn. Doe was pretty sure something was starting between them.

The train began to move away from Hogwarts and Doe cast one last fleeting look at it. This was the last time she would ever see it like this.

They spent most of the train ride just sitting there enjoying each other's company.

When the train eventually pulled into the station, Doe felt a stir of sadness inside her.

" So I'll start looking for an apartment as soon as I get home" Doe told Lily.

" Okay just let me know when you find one that'll work" Lily assured her.

The train stopped on Platform 9 ¾.

" This is it, It's over" James said as they all stood up.

" Nah, It's not over" Sirius said observing everyone leaving the train, " It's just beginning".

They left the train and stepped onto the platform for the last time. Maybe Sirius was right. Their mischievous era was ending, but they were beginning a new period of their lives,

The Lively Years.


	42. Chapter 42 The Lively Years

Summer After Seventh Year:

Doe had only been home for a week and she already wanted to be anywhere but here. Unsurprisingly, her mother hadn't picked her up from Kings Cross, so she had to find her own way home. When she saw her later that night, they had a quick reunion, they couldn't have exchanged more than two words since they had been home. She spent most of her time locked in her room. She didn't want to have to be downstairs and talk to her.

She only really went down there when she was hungry or she had to use the phone. She had been scouring the Daily Prophet for days, searching desperately for a magic- accepted apartment building that was close to the ministry. She wanted to be out of here as soon as possible.

At one point she went downstairs to get a bottle of water. Her mother was sitting at the dining room table, reading the Times. She put it down when she saw her.

" Dorcas sit down please" she said patting the chair next to her, " we need to discuss a few things".

Doe sighed, whenever her mother wanted to discuss something it usually ended in a fight.

She sat down in the chair next to her, " Yes?" she asked.

Her mother smiled, " So I have been thinking a lot about us lately and I think I've finally found the solution to our problem" she said.

" Our problem?" Doe repeated.

She nodded eagerly. Doe didn't know what problem she was referring too. The biggest issue between them was the magical-muggle divide, and there wasn't much her mother could about that besides being more accepting.

" I think the best way to fix you and me, is to spend more time together" she said happily.

Doe waited for her to elaborate. Even before her father died, she and her mother had never been close.

" You and me?" Doe asked her curiously.

She laughed, " You don't have to sound so surprised"

Doe eyed her with a strange look. There had to be a catch.

She smiled broadly and began talking quickly, " I figured that next year you and I could spend so much time together. You could stay here and go to City University, and we can finally bond." She spat out.

Doe eyed her strangely.

" Mom, I'm can't. My auror training starts in two months, I'm moving into an apartment closer to the ministry" She reminded her.

She shook her head, " No, Dorcas. You need to go to college, and finally start living a normal life"

" As opposed to what?" Doe asked getting angry.

" You need to stop with this magic. It's not healthy. You're going to get yourself killed like your father" she said earnestly.

" Its not healthy?" she demanded, " This is what I do, I can't stop. And I certainly won't for your account"

Doe got up from the table and headed for the stairs. Her mother grabbed her arm stopping her.

" Please Dorcas, stay here and stop with this nonsense." she begged.

Doe yanked her hand back from her.

" I am leaving." she told her, " I need to start my life"

Her mother shook her head, " Not with me you won't".

Doe turned to her, anger bubbling in her chest, " Fine, then. I'll move out as soon as I find a place"

" Fine" She snapped.

Doe stomped up the stairs leaving her bewildered on the stairs. Tears started to flow down her face. She ignored them and headed straight for her room.

She hated this. She didn't always want to feel so ashamed of what She was.

She sat down leaning against the side of the bed and let herself cry, wishing she was anywhere other than here.


	43. 43 The Great Hunt

1

The Great Hunt

Doe spent the rest of my time calling every ad in the prophet for an apartment. It was easier than dealing with what was going on there. At this point she was so desperate she would rather be anywhere other than here. But finding a place proved harder than she thought. Some were too small, and some were too expensive. She and Lily were looking for something with two bedrooms that was as close to the ministry as they could get. They were trying to be responsible, unlike Sirius who was planning on spending a large chunk of his inheritance on the most lavish apartment he could find.

The other dilemma was not every landlord wanted to do business with an eighteen year old witch fresh out of Hogwarts.

Eventually, She found one apartment a few blocks away from the ministry in the heart of London, with a wizard landlord who was willing to show her the place. The only time he had free was tomorrow at noon. She told him she would be there.

She didn't want to go alone, but Lily was still in France with her family.

She decided to call Remus and see if he could go with her. She walked downstairs to the kitchen where the phone was. She picked it up and dialed the number Remus had given her. In an effort to try more muggle inventions, both of his parents had decided it was a good idea to install a phone in their house.

The phone rang twice before someone answered.

" Uh, um Lupin Residence" Remus said.

Doe grinned, " Hi, I am looking for the very attractive Lupin son" she said into the receiver.

She heard him laugh loudly, " I've missed you so much Doe" he said earnestly.

" I've missed you too" she told him. And she had. It had only been two weeks since she had seen him, but she was already desperate to see him again. It felt strange being apart.

" That's actually why I was calling" she told him, " I'm going to see an apartment tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come?"

Remus sighed into the phone, " I would love to, believe me, but tonight is a full moon and I'll be kind of out of it tomorrow"

Doe gasped, " No, of course. How could I have not realized that. I am so sorry-"

Remus stopped her, " Doe, don't apologize. You shouldn't have to worry if your boyfriend is turning into a wolf before you invite him to do something"

She laughed slightly, " Well I'm sorry you're busy. I want to see you"

" I do too," Remus said, " and don't go see that apartment alone. Bring someone with you"

" I'll ask Sirius to go" she told him.

" Yes, he'll make sure you don't get taken advantage of" Remus said.

" Or convince me to buy a bachelor pad" Doe said.

Remus laughed, " Either way, you won't be alone"

She sighed, she missed him so much.

" Listen I've got to go, my mom wants me to help her with something, but lets make plans to see eachother soon, okay?" Remus said.

" Okay," she agreed.

" I love you, I'll see you soon" he said quickly.

" I love you too" she told him and heard the phone call end.

She turned back to the receiver and dialed the number to the Potter's house.

It rang three times before Mrs. Potter's chipper voice filled the silence, " Potter residence"

" Hi, Mrs. Potter, it's Doe" she told her.

" Oh hello sweetheart, how are you?" She asked happily.

" I'm great," she told her, " I was actually wondering if Sirius was there?"

She laughed, " He and James are running around here somewhere, I'll find him".

She pulled the phone away from her face and I heard her call " SIRIUS!" loudly into the house.

There was a slight commotion as someone entered the room.

" Yes, Mrs. Potter?" Sirius asked.

" Phone for you, It's Doe" Mrs. Potter said.

There was a shuffle and Sirius picked up the phone, " Hey there, beautiful"

" Hey Siri," Doe said happily, it had been almost two weeks since she had heard from him and it felt like far too long. She was used to seeing him everyday.

" What's up?" Sirius asked.

" I think I found an apartment" she told him, " and I was wondering if you wanted to come see it with me, tomorrow?".

" Definitely," Sirius said quickly, " what time?"

" Around noon" She told him.

" I'll pick you up then" Sirius said mischievously.

" What do you mean pick me up?" she asked.

Sirius barked laughter into the phone, " You'll see tomorrow. See you then Doe".

There was a click as the phone was hung up. Doe sighed. Knowing Sirius, he had something planned and she guessed she probably wouldn't approve.

Doe went back upstairs and went back into her room. She looked out the window of her bedroom. The street was empty. Occasionally a car would pass by, but besides that it remained motionless.

She looked at Sirius' house. It was strange. Somewhere in there was Sirius' room, permanently abandoned, and somewhere else in there was Regulus, who not only didn't miss Sirius, but was probably glad he was gone.

No wonder Sirius was so excited to finally have a place of his own. He probably needed it even more than she did.

Thinking about moving still tore her up inside. She had lived in this house her entire life, but ever since her father died, it no longer felt like home. It felt like a cage.

It was necessary.

Part of her wanted to reminisce at what her life would be like if he hadn't died. She would probably be sitting here, talking with him excitedly about the impending auror training.

She shook her head. Thinking about it wasn't healthy. She filed it away in the 'what-if' part of her psyche and abandoned it.

She didn't want to depress myself. I had so much to look forward too.

You are leaving soon, you're going to be an auror. I kept reminding myself that I was starting a new period of my life. Hopefully one that meant I would be catching death eaters.

Somehow it had become a strange desire of mine.

She laid back and let herself look up at the ceiling, the room suddenly felt very small to her, like she was looking at something from her childhood.

Her mother had gone out to a lunch with a friend the next day, so she didn't have to worry about her protests at Doe leaving to see an apartment. It was almost noon when Doe heard someone knock at the door. She quickly slipped her shoes on, putting her wand in her pocket and walked over to the door.

She knew it was going to be Sirius, but her over-cautiousness caused her to look out of the peephole quickly.

She saw Sirius standing there grinning widely and a new type of happiness flooded through her.

She yanked open the door and pulled him into a hug.

" Hey there Doe" Sirius said squeezing her tightly.

Doe and Sirius had grown so close in the last few years that even having spent two weeks apart was weird for them. Doe was used to being able to trot down from the dormitory and find Sirius waiting for her in armchair in the common room.

When they let go, Doe stopped and eyed him curiously.

He was wearing a black leather jacket and holding a black helmet.

Doe had known Sirius to wear some outrageous clothing but ensemble he had on now could only mean one thing.

" What is that?" She asked him gesturing to the helmet in his hands, her voice hard with concern.

A wide grin spread across Sirius' face, " That Doe, is a helmet"

" Yes I can see that, for what" She asked sternly.

Sirius grinned again and moved slightly to the right, revealing a large black motorbike parked in front of her house.

Doe had only seen one of these in person one other time. Once driving home from Lily's neighborhood with her mother. She had called them a death trap.

It looked solid and it was black and shiny.

" Tell me you're joking" Doe said walking over to it. It just looked scary even standing next to it.

It looked too big to maneuver properly. Surely he couldn't drive this thing. He'd kill himself.

Sirius shook the hair out of his eyes, " Nope, Isn't she beautiful?"

" You're going to get yourself killed" Doe told him, running her hand over the large engine.

Sirius shook his head, " No, I'm not. I'm an excellent driver. You'll see. Hop on"

Sirius mounted the bike and turned it on. It roared to life loudly. Doe shuddered violently, just watching him on there made her imagine him splattered across the pavement. The other less responsible part of her had to admit that he did look pretty cool.

" I am not getting on that thing" Doe said her arms crossed firmly.

Sirius turned to her and raised his eyebrow, giving her the knowing look he often gave her when he wasn't in the mood to deal with her.

" Just get on" he said impatiently.

She didn't want to. It looked too dangerous, but unfortunately, she did trust Sirius' judgement.

With an angry sigh, she got on the back of the bike.

" I hate you" she said pouting slightly.

Sirius laughed, " Sure you do, Meadowes"

He revved the engine again and it roared to life underneath them and Doe flinched violently, wrapping her arms around Sirius waist and burying her face in his shoulder in fear. Sirius chuckled loudly.

" Alright where is this place?" He asked.

" 433 Richmond Terrace" Doe told him quickly, hoping to Merlin that they'd actually make it there in one piece.

" Okay, hang on tight" Sirius said happily.

He was enjoying her discomfort far too much.

Sirius moved the bike out of the parking spot and began to drive it quickly down the street. It was strange, it reminded Doe of years ago when they had their first flying lessons. Riding the motor bike was similar to riding a broom. It wasn't nearly as scary as she had thought it would be.

It sped through the streets quickly, letting the wind blow past them.

As much as she hated to admit it, it was a rush. They sped through the gray london streets quickly. Granted, they could have just apparated there in seconds but Sirius was obviously anxious for an opportunity to drive it, and Doe didn't have the heart to deny him that.

He pulled in front of a large gray apartment building that had a large 433 on it. This was it.

Doe waited until Sirius turned off the bike and then jumped off of it quickly.

" Isn't it great?" Sirius asked.

" Terrifying and exhilarating at the same time" Doe said shaking her head.

Sirius grinned, " You should see it in the air"

The smile fell from her face instantly.

" It flys?" She demanded.

Sirius laughed, " Yes it does".

" You're insane" Doe told him walking towards the building, " You should be in St. Mungos"

Sirius trailed after her, " I'll be fine, Doe. I like a bit of excitement in my life you know that"

" And catching dark wizards for a living won't be excitement enough?" Doe asked as they headed towards the building.

" Not for Sirius Black" Sirius said haughtily.

Doe rolled her eyes and looked at all the people on the street.

It was full of people going through their motions of a typical day. She watched excitedly, hoping to be one of them soon.

" This could be your building" Sirius said as they walked through the front doors.

" Hopefully" Doe told him.

The lobby was simple. It had a front desk and two armchairs on the wall. There was a door to the stairs, but seeing as the building was exclusively to wizards and witches, most of Doe's guests would be apparating anyway.

" What floor was it?" Sirius asked.

" 11" She told him as they walked towards the staircase. Once inside it, they both apparated and appeared on the eleventh floor.

It was a small hallway with a carpeted floor and three apartments on each side.

Doe stopped in front of Apartment 5 and knocked on the door. Sirius stood beside her. The door opened and a short balding man appeared in the doorway.

" You Doe?" he asked.

She nodded, " Yeah, I'm here to see the apartment".

" I'm Lenny" he said opening the door and letting her and Sirius into the apartment.

The door opened into the living room. The apartment came furnished. The living room had an entire wall lined with bookshelves and had a couch with a large armchair.

" It's a two bedroom furnished apartment," Lenny said leaning against the kitchen counter which was adjacent to the living room, " there's the living room and the kitchen" he said pointing both out.

" And the bedrooms are in there" Lenny said pointing to the two doors on the other wall.

So far, she was impressed. It was very cozy. The living room and kitchen were both nice and just big enough for her and Lily. She walked over to the bedrooms with Sirius and opened the door. The bedrooms were identical. Spacious rooms with a bed, closet, and desk.

" What do you think?" Doe asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded, " I like it. I think it's what you were looking for right?"

Doe nodded, " I think it's perfect".

Truthfully, Doe was so desperate to move out of her house she would have moved into a closet with a bathroom.

" Look at you, shopping for an apartment," Sirius said pretending to wipe away a tear, " you're growing up so fast".

She smacked him in the arm, and watched as he laughed.

Doe walked back over to Lenny. Lily had given full licensing to pick whatever apartment she thought would work, and this one was exactly what they were looking for. It was cute, reasonably priced, and only two blocks away from the ministry.

" So I think I'm going to take it" Doe told Lenny.

Lenny raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting to fill it so quickly. She knew it was soon and that she was probably overpaying a little bit, but none of the other apartments she had seen listed were no where near as nice as this one.

" And is this the roommate that you mentioned?" Lenny asked eyeing Sirius curiously. He obviously wasn't thrilled with the idea of a six foot tall motorcycle riding tennant.

Sirius gave him an annoyed look.

" No, he's not" Doe told Lenny.

Lenny took out a piece of parchment that outlined the contract. Doe took the quill he handed her and signed it, giving him the small bag of gold for the down payment.

" Well I guess it's yours then" Lenny said handing her a small bronze key, " enjoy, and make sure you don't pay the rent late".

Lenny took the contract and the bag of gold and left the apartment. Once he left, She turned to Sirius.

" I just got an apartment" Doe said happily,.

He smiled, " I know. I saw".

A wide smile spread across her face. This was where she would be living for the next stage of her life.

" I can't wait to show Lily" Doe said happily.

" I'm sure she's going to love it" Sirius said, " as long as there's room for James to sneak out in the morning".

" Oh god I didn't even think about that" Doe said shaking her head.

Sirius laughed. " I would probably get used to the idea of having Prongs around, considering that they are inseparable"

" Which means you'll be around too" Doe told him.

Sirius grinned, " You didn't think you were getting rid of me that easily, did you beautiful?"


	44. 44 The Beginning

2

The Beginning

Doe had written to tell Lily about the apartment and she was beyond thrilled. She got back from France next week, and was moving in then.

As for Doe, she couldn't wait to move in. She had spent every day since securing the apartment, packing up everything she owned. She managed to contain the number of boxes she had, bringing only what she knew she would miss. She had told her mother she was moving out a few days ago during a very awkward conversation in the kitchen. She didn't even respond. She acted like she hadn't even heard her. She claimed she had an appointment today, but Doe suspected it was because she didn't want to be around her while I was leaving. She hadn't even asked for the address. It was like she no longer cared.

Doe tried not to think about.

Remus was coming over today to help her move into the apartment. She couldn't wait to see him. They had talked on the phone, and written, but it had been three weeks since she'd actually seen him.

When she heard a knock on the door downstairs, she quickly apparated in front of it and wrenched it open.

Remus was standing there smiling broadly. He looked the way he always did, eternally happy. There was something about Remus' face that always filled Doe with an unmeasurable amount of joy. He had been such a part of her life for so long that looking at Remus' face felt like home to her.

" Doe" he said happily, his face breaking into a wide smile

She didn't answer. Instead she threw her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her there, lifting her off the ground slightly.

" I see someone's missed me" He said with a laugh.

" More than you know" she said pulling him inside and closed the door.

" I really missed you" he whispered in her ear.

She smiled, " Oh did you?".

He grinned, " I did".

He stopped for a moment and looked around the room he was standing in house, " You know, I've never been here before".

Doe realized then that Remus had never been here before. He had only ever seen her in Hogwarts, a place that was filled with happy memories for her. Her home seemed darker now with Remus looking at her in it.

She shrugged, " It's not really home anymore" she said softly.

Remus frowned at her. He was also good at know how she was feeling.

" But that's okay, I have a new place now" Doe said half excitedly.

" Oh yes, I forgot I am looking at the new owner of her own apartment" Remus said with a smile.

Doe grinned taking the key out of her pocket to show him.

" Alright, well put me to work" Remus said, " I'm ready to move boxes".

Doe brought him upstairs and they each grabbed a box and apparated into the living room of her apartment.

Doe put down the boxes and gave Remus a tour of the place.

" So what do you think?" She asked after she showed him all of it.  
" I like it a lot, I can see you living here" he said looking around the living room.

Doe smiled, " Me too".

They went back and forth, apparating from her house to the apartment, moving boxes, until they got back to her house and retrieved the last two boxes.

She looked around her room. It was almost empty now. It finally looked the way she felt about it.

Surprisingly, She didn't feel bad about leaving.

" You okay?" Remus asked as she took a final look around the room.

She nodded, " Yeah, I'm ready to go".

She left a note on the kitchen table for her mom, it read:

Mom,

I moved. I'm sorry but I needed to go.

-Doe

She knew it harsh but she doubted her mom would even care. She pretended to care for her but they both knew that it would be a relief for her not to have Doe in her life anymore.

Remus and Doe apparated to the new apartment and placed the final boxes in her room. They sat down on the edge of her bed.

" This is so weird" she said looking around her new room.

" Good weird" Remus said squeezing her hand.

She leaned up to kiss him, and he pulled her closer to him. They shifted so that he was on top of her and pulled themselves closer to each other.

Being apart for so long had made them desperate for eachother.

Remus kissed her neck and she held onto him so tightly it seemed like she would never let him go.

" You know," Remus said a little while later, " I think I'm going to really like you living here".

She laughed. She was curled up next to him, her head on his chest. The blankets pulled up around them.

He bent down slightly to kiss the top of her head, but he was frowning slightly.

" Rem what's wrong?" Doe asked, " did you not want too.." she trailed off.

He shook his head through laughter, " No, _that_ was great. I promise you"

" Then what's wrong?" She asked as she ran her hand across his arm.

" I just don't want things to change between us, you know now that we're not at Hogwarts and were starting our real lives" he said quietly.

" They won't" She told him sternly, " I love you, Remus Lupin. That is not going to change"

A small smile spread across his face. She reached up to kiss him again, " There is no one else I would rather be here with right now" She told him.

Remus ran his hands across her shoulder, " I love you so much, Doe".

" I love you too, Remus" She said and curled up back against him.


	45. 45 Enter Evans

3

Enter Evans:

Lily moved her stuff in the day she got back. She had loved the apartment as much as Doe had hoped she would. James had come with her and they spent the entire morning conjuring her possessions around the room.

Doe had been here for a week now and had managed to unpack most of her bedroom. She had conjured all of her books and those she had inherited from my father to sit on the bookshelves in the living room, and now with the addition of Lily's collection, it was almost full.

" You know? I like this place a lot" James said as he and Lily left her room.

" It's great isn't it?" Doe said sitting on the edge of the couch.

" It's absolutely perfect" Lily said clapping happily.

James stomach roared loudly.

" There food in the kitchen if you're hungry" Doe told him.

After years of spending time with the marauders she could recognize the need to keep food on hand.

He smiled appreciatively, " Thank you, Doe. Slave driver Evans here wouldn't even let me stop and eat before coming here today"

" I needed help" Lily rationalized.

Doe laughed, " Don't worry about it, it should be fully stocked. I shopped yesterday".

It had been fun, she spent the entire day making sure the apartment was stocked with everything they needed from potions supplies to pumpkin pasties.

" And did you set the protective enchantments we talked about?" Lily asked.

Doe nodded quickly. The first night she was here she had stayed up late rereading every spellbook she had and making sure to set as many security charms possible.

Now no one could apparate into the apartment without permission. Permission she had only given to Lily and the marauders.

They also prevented the use of dark forces from tampering with it in anyway.

" I know, I'm surprised I even had to ask, with an auror living in the house" Lily said with a smile.

" I'm not an auror yet" Doe reminder her.

A small part of her felt thrilled that Lily had even had the thought. Protecting the apartment was the first thing Doe had done that made her feel like a real auror.

" But you will be" James said slinging his arm over Lily, " the ministry won't be able to kick you or Padfoot out".

" Hopefully" Doe said.

Doe didn't want to admit it, but after the initial shock of being accepted to the program had worn off, she had been faced with a new harsher realization, that she had to not only make it through training but pass all of the necessary tests to actually become one.

" Speaking of Sirius, where is he?" Doe asked looking at the lopsided magical clock that hung from the wall.

Sirius had been planning on coming over later tonight to hang out with them, but he was about an hour late.

" He's doing something with the apartment, I think" James pointed it out.

" Have you guys found one then?" Lily asked him.

James nodded, " Sirius found one about two blocks from here, it's directly across from the ministry. In that tall building with the green awning".

" That's quite a fancy building" Lily commented, it was one of the nicer apartment buildings in London that catered specifically to magical families. Several ministry department heads lived there.

James shrugged, " I haven't seen it yet, but you know Sirius, he's going to want it to be outrageous"

Lily laughed, " and what you would want a modest home for two?"

James ran his hands through his hair, " well no, I just meant that Sirius likes things grand"

There was a knock at the front door.

" I'll get it" Doe said to Lily and walked over to it. She peaked through the little hole and saw Remus standing in the hallway.

She wrenched it open.

" I thought you couldn't make it" She said hugging him tightly.

He smiled, " All I had to do was let my mom know it was you I wanted to see and she let me out of family night".

She grinned widely and kissed him, " Thank you, Carol".

" Hey Moony" James called happily from the couch.

" Hey Prongs" Remus said sitting down on the chair opposite him, " how've you been?"

" Busy," James said, " between Lily and Sirius, I never have a free moment"

James was interrupted by a sudden pop as Sirius apparatted into the living room.

" Sirius!" Doe said shrilly, " I gave you the password for emergencies, you could knock"

Sirius grinned, " Oh come on Meadowes, you know me better than that".

There was another pop and Peter followed appeared beside him.

" Why do you always take so long to apparate, Wormtail?" Sirius asked harshly.

" I don't know, come off it" Peter grumbled sitting down in the other chair.

Sirius smiled faintly and then sat down as well.

" It's officially done!" Sirius said happily, " the marauder bachelor pad has been secured"

" Excellent" Peter said happily.

" I can't wait to see it" Lily exclaimed.

" Oh I'm sure you'll be seeing quite a bit of James' room" Sirius said with a wink. Lily smacked him.

Doe leaned back in my chair. This was the first time that we had all been together since Hogwarts, and she was glad to see that nothing had changed.


	46. 46 The Start

4

The Start:

The next few weeks had been the happiest Doe had ever felt outside of Hogwarts. As the summer went on, Lily and De grew very fond of living on their own. However, they spent much of their time in Sirius' flat.

Much to James' prediction, Sirius had found a truly amazing apartment. It was lavish four bedroom apartment with a towering fireplace. Sirius had transformed it into an amazing place to live. So much so that they all spent a majority of their time there.

You could see that it made Sirius extremely happy to finally have a place that he could be himself.

There were touches of him everywhere. From the large Gryffindor Tapestry that hung from the wall in the living room, to the collection of empty butterbeer bottles in the kitchen.

Before any of them knew it, the summer slipped away and they all received notices detailing when they would begin reporting to the ministry. They all began on August 24th.

Sirius and Doe were supposed to report to the auror office at 8:30 in the morning.

They decided we would go together, so the morning of August 24th, she woke early and got dressed. Putting on a pot of tea for both Lily and herself, she sat in the kitchen feeling extremely nervous.

She knew she shouldn't be, but she realized today was the first time, she would be walking into the Ministry with a purpose.

Lily came out of her room, drying her hair in a towel.

" Good Morning" she said taking a seat at the table and sipping from the tea Doe had left out.

" Morning, Lilypad" Doe said sitting down next to her.

She took a few quick sips of her own tea, hoping it would calm down both her excitement and her nerves.

" Today's the big day huh?" Lily asked, " were starting our jobs".

" I know, it doesn't feel real" Doe commented.

Lily gave her a knowing look, " You're nervous aren't you?".

Doe bit her lip and nodded solemnly. It's what she had wanted for so long, but she hated to admit how nervous she was.

" You'll be fine, in fact you'll be great. You're going to be the best auror that that department has ever seen!" Lily said happily.

She didn't know if it was just or nature or the fact that she had spent the last 6 years of her life doing it, but Lily always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.

Doe smiled at her, " Thank you, Lil. I needed that".

" No problem, Dorykins" she said with a wide smile.

She glanced back at the large clock on the wall. She had to go to meet Sirius at his apartment.

" I've gotta go, but have a great first day of work, Lily" She said kissing the top of her head and leaving the apartment.

Once outside of the constraints of our anti-apparition charm, She closed her eyes and apparated to Sirius apartment.

She knocked on the door, and a very tired looking James opened the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

" Oh hi Doe, SIRIUS DOE'S HERE, come in" James said opening the door so she could come in.

She followed James into the apartment. James slumped down onto the couch. Peter was also sitting on it, looking extremely exhausted as well.

" Late night?" Doe asked James.

James nodded glumly, Peter yawned in response.

" They didn't listen to me" Remus said walking out of his room, fully dressed, and looking much more awake than his roommates.

" Morning" Doe said kissing Remus quickly when he walked over to her.

He smiled at her happily, holding her hand tightly, " Excited to be a ministry employee?"

" Beyond so" She said, her excitement evident on her face.

" You're going to do great" he assured her.

" And what about you, Mr. Lupin?" She asked, " you are going to be the best Magical Cooperation Intern that they have ever had"

Remus smiled appreciatively and pulled her towards him so that she was leaning against his chest.

" It's far too early for that kind of public display of affection" James moaned from the couch.

" What did you guys do last night?" Doe asked in horror, never having heard James condemn PDA before.

Sirius walked out of his room and slipped a jacket on over his t-shirt, " We just had a little 'last night before we become adults' celebration, right kids?".

Peter groaned from the corner he had wedged himself in, clutching his head.

" Do you need something, Peter?" Doe asked him, she had never seen him like that before.

Sirius shook his head, " He's fine. Wormtail just can't hold his firewhiskey. You ready?"

He slipped his wand in his pocket and waited for her.

" Yup, let's go" Doe told him.

She turned back to Remus, " Have a good day" she told him kissing him quickly.

He held her there for a minute, his hand on the small of her back, " You too, good luck".

She gave him one last smile before disappearing out the front door with Sirius.

" Come on, beautiful. We've got training to start" Sirius said happily as he closed the door.

" Let's walk" she urged him. Sirius lived so close to the ministry that it would be just as quick and Doe figured the fresh air would help her clear her head and prepare her for what was waiting for them.

" Okay" Sirius said eyeing her strangely.

She walked out of his building and down the gray cement London streets, taking it all in. It still all felt like a dream.

" Meadowes, you're practically silent. You wouldn't shut up last week, what's wrong?" Sirius asked when they were a block away from the ministry.

" Im fine" Doe lied quickly.

Sirius stopped in the street with one of his eyebrows raised in a way to suggest that he didn't believe her at all. She sighed, It had gotten to the point where Sirius could read her so well, she couldn't lie to him.

" What if I suck at it?" she asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Doe, you won't suck at it. You're a Gryffindor"

" But-" she started. Sirius cut her off,

" And, I'll be there too, I'll force you to be good at it, okay? So stop bloody worrying and enjoy it" he added.

A small smile crept onto her face ,and Sirius rolled his eyes at her.

She stopped Sirius when they approached the Ministry entrance.

" What are you doing?" Sirius asked.

" It's the entrance" she said pointing to the Mens and Womens Restrooms entrances on the street.

" No it's not the telephone booth is the entrance" Sirius said.

Doe shook her head, " Sirius that's the visitors entrance, this is the employee entrance"

Sirius wrinkled his nose, " A bathroom? How do you even get in?"

She suppressed a giggle, entertained by the fact that she would have to be the one to tell him this.

" Well you flush yourself in" she explained to him.

Sirius' face fell slightly, " That's bloody disgusting".

She laughed at his obvious disgust, " It'll all be worth it" she told him heading towards the women's entrance.

Sirius made another disgusted face before disappearing into the Mens room.

She stood in line behind the other women who worked at the ministry waiting for a stall to open up. While she waited, she looked at the corner of the robes, looking at all the different departments that were being represented in the bathroom.

The stall in front of her opened up and she walked in and stood on the toilet, doing exactly what her father had detailed many years ago.

It seemed ludicrous. And she could understand Sirius' discomfort. It wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world.

She sighed and flushed, feeling herself get sucked into it. There was a quick second where she felt like she was being shoved through a tube before she found herself on her feet in the Atrium of the ministry.

Oddly, she was completely dry, like nothing had happened.

She turned around to see Sirius observing himself in the same state of confusion that she was.

He just shook his head, " so bloody gross".

She laughed as they walked over towards the large marble front desk.

A blonde, hoarse looking witch sat there, scribbling away on a large piece of parchment.

" Excuse me?"

The witch down at her with a look of annoyance and exhaustion.

" Yes?" she asked.

" I was wondering if you knew where the Auror training orientation was?" she asked her.

She sighed and opened the map closest to her.

" You're on level 8 in the Atrium, " She said, " you want to go to level 2 Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that's where the auror office is"

Braced with the directions she gave us, Sirius and Doe made their way to the elevators and selected the button for the second level. The elevator shot down quickly, leading her to believe it was not a series of cables that propelled it.

The doors sprung open on the second level and practically knocked them out of the cart.

They walked down the different departments, each one held offices accessed through a glass door and stopped when they got to the glass door that read 'Auror HeadQuarters".

" This is it" Sirius said encouragingly as he opened the door.

Doe took a deep breath as she took it all in. She had never been inside before. She had only pressed her nose against the door on the days when she visited her dad's office.

It consisted of a huge open floor with 50 open cubicles. There were private offices lining one wall and a hallway full of doors in the other.

" Are you here for training?" A stern looking wizard in the black Auror robes asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded at him.

" It's in room 8, down the hallway on the left" he said before walking back to one of the cubicles. She and Sirius walked down the hallway and stopped when they got to the door marked 8.

She took a deep breath before opening it.

The room was very white. White walls, White floors, and no windows. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling made the whole room look very sterile and clean.

In the middle of the room, twenty folding chairs were sat.

There were people gathered around the room huddled in clusters.

In one corner was a group of boys who looked about their age, wearing moleskin caps and speaking fluent bulgarian. Those must be the Durmstrang applicants, and in the other corner she saw a small collection of girls all speaking quick french. The girls of Beauxbatons.

Besides the obvious two schools, everyone else in the room was a random assortment.

Sirius and Doe spied Frank standing off to the side. He waved happily when he saw them and strode over.

" Hi Doe, Sirius. Good to see you. Exciting huh?" He said quickly.

" Very" Doe agreed.

Frank and Sirius launched into a discussion about the recent win for Finland at last Sunday's match, while Doe continued to look around the room. She recognized a few students from Hogwarts, They had all graduated a couple years before them.

It was an odd assortment of people, houses and schools. 20 of them in all.

She wondered how many would make it to the actual study.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Alastor Moody strode in through the door, and towards the front of the room.

Everyone moved to take a seat. Doe sat squarely in between Sirius and Frank.

Moody looked like he was severely agitated. The expression he wore suggested he would rather pull out his own teeth than be here, and his throaty growl of a voice did little to argue with it.

" So, you are the assembly of individuals that the auror department thinks is capable of capturing this generation of dark wizards" Moody said, his eyes running over the crowd of them. He made a noise that sounded like a combination of a grown and a laugh.

" Well I hate to be the one who crushes your dreams but this job is not for everyone. And about half of you will not make past training to even get to the study of it".

Several people in the crowd gasped. Somehow Doe had expected this. They had very limited spots, and too many applicants.

Moody continued speaking, " To weed out which of you are not capable of handling the job, the four week training session will be a sort of test. You will be tested for both your magical and physical ability. As both are important in a good auror. Starting tomorrow, and every weekday for the next month, you all will report here at 9:00 a.m. We will begin the training and I warn you know, it is not easy and it is not fun. So if you are of the weak willed, or have a low pain tolerance, I recommend you leave now"

A particularly frail looking Beauxbatons girls got up from her chair and left the room.

Moody laughed, " Better she know now".

He reached into a box from the table behind him and with a flick of his wand, a set of back outfits were beginning delivered to each seated person.

Doe looked through it. Everyone had received a black jacket with a large AIT written on the back, outlined underneath to mean 'Auror in Training'.

" Now you need to wear those everyday, so you are distinguishable from the other aurors" Moody said harshly.

Doe figured their complete lack of knowledge and youthful appearance would probably contribute to their identification more than the jacket.

She looked to Sirius, who was listening intently to everything Moody was saying, he looked completely relaxed, his expression still casual.

His outstanding confidence never ceased to amaze her, nothing challenged him.

" So today," Moody grumbled, " I'll give you a tour and see if I can intimidate anymore of of you out of here".

His comment was met with laughter from some and looks of fear from others. He laughed again, obviously amused.

They spent the next few hours get a tour of the auror office and related ministry facilities they would be using. The 'training rooms' were a series of large mirrored rooms with padded floors. The cushion floor comforted some and frightened others.

Moody discussed the various things they would asked to perform during the training. The magical portion didnt scare her. Most of it she had learned at Hogwarts, but what did frighten her was the physical portion.

They would be fighting against the other applicants. Moody said it was designed to make sure that every trainee inducted into the program was capable of defending themselves with a wand or not.

" You wouldn't believe how many gifted dueling wizards I've met who can't throw a punch when their wand is taken away" Moody said as they left the room.

The tour lasted for several hours, around noon Moody released them to lunch telling them that in the next hour they would be going over the procedures and rules for the training session.

Frank, Sirius and Doe made their way down to the Ministry cafeteria. It was a large intimidating room. Doe noticed it was full of Ministry employees from every age group. All dressed in the different colored and emblemed department robes.

" Come on" Sirius said leading her over to the counters for food. They bought food and scoured the room looking for an open seat.

" There's James!" Frank said pointing to a table in the corner, " and look Remus too!"

Relieved, they headed over to the table where they sat. They both looked excited, dressed in jackets talking quickly about their mornings.

" Look at you three" James said when they walked over, looking at their jackets.

" Your neighborhood auror trainees" Sirius grinned sitting down next to James.

Doe sat down next to Remus.

" How'd it go?" he asked excitedly.

She smiled, " Good. He was just explaining the training and how it would go"

" We're in for a treat" Sirius said sarcastically.

" What about you guys, what did you do?" Doe asked Remus and James.

Turns out their jobs were mostly officelike. They all had shared desks in the office and were being trained on all of the processes that their departments were responsible for. It was very different from the atmosphere of the auror office, where they were thrown headfirst into everything.

They spent the rest of the lunch hour chatting happily. Neither Lily or Peter appeared. Their lunch must have been different.

When they got back to the Auror Office, all twenty of the trainees were much more focused and listened intently to Moody's instructions on 'How to Survive the training'.

" Do as I say, perform your best, and don't hurt anyone else" Moody finished, " and you should be fine"

Doe took a deep breath, hoping she would be able to all of it.


	47. 47 September 1st

5

September 1st:

They had been training for a week now. The days seemed like they were flying by. It was weird how quickly Doe fell into a routine. The ministry, and Moody now seemed much less terrifying.

The training too, seemed to be less looming. It was still one of the hardest things she had ever been asked to do, but at least she knew what was expected of her.

The magical portion of their training had begun the second day. It started easy. Moody watched them all disarm each other. Moody expected all of them to be proficient in non-verbal spells, something that Sirius, Frank and Doe were all versed in but proved to be more challenging for the other trainees.

Today they were all set up in the training room. Moody had split them into two teams of ten. He'd given their team silver cloaks to wear to make them distinguishable, and he expected them to duel. They were only allowed to use stunning spells. The object of the game to stun as many of the opposing team as possible.

Sirius was on Doe's team, but Frank was on the other.

They were all darting around the room casting stunning spells, trying desperately to both stun as many players as well as avoid their spells.

Doe darted to the left avoiding a spell that a brutish looking trainee named Gordon had sent her way. He had not yet mastered non-verbal spells and had had to say it aloud, giving her ample time to get out of the way.

Doe silently shot a stunning spell at him. The flash of blue light hitting him square in the chest as he fell down stunned.

" Good one Meadowes" Sirius called as he passed behind her stunning two of the Beauxbatons girls at once.

" Back at you, Black" she said with a grin, darting another spell.

Some of the other trainees were actually very good. There was a Hogwarts ravenclaw named Piers who had graduated the year before them, who had quite the skill with dueling. He, having also been well versed in nonverbal spells at Hogwarts, cast spells quickly and before you noticed.

Doe darted to the right, missing his spell by inches.

A large grin appeared on his face as he sent another one towards her. She darted again and sent one back at him. He jumped to the left, also missing it.

She frowned and sent another.

Somehow, they both became haunted by the idea of conceding and began sending spells back at one another. Making it more of a duel between the two of them, rather than joining everyone else.

Doe noticed Moody eyeing them carefully.

Not wanting to disappoint him, she shot another spell at him and frowned as he once again darted it.

She hardly had time to react before he shot another one at her.

She had to physically duck to avoid this one. Still crouching, she shot another one at him and watched as he was too late to dart from it. It hit him in the right shoulder, paralyzing him momentarily.

Smiling, she joined the others of her team. They were in the lead still having six players to the other teams four.

The durmstrang boy on their team had been too cocky. He turned to one of the Beauxbatons girls smiling widely after having just stunned and opposite team player, and took a stunning spell to the chest.

Sirius shook his head disapprovingly and shot a stunning spell at one of the other players.

Doe dodged another spell, and sent two.

There were only two players left on the other team. Doe watched Sirius take down one of the Durmstrang boys and the other was momentarily distracted as his friend fell to his feet.

She shot a stunning spell at him, watching his expression turn to bewilderment as he was stunned.

A huge grin spread across her face as she realized they had won. She was a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.

Sirius walked over and clapped her hand happily, " We did it Doe" he said with a wide smile.

Doe noticed Moody's expression held a certain look of surprise as he took in the remaining four players on their team.

Those who had been stunned were still lying motionless on the floor.

" Well congratulations to you lot" Moody said as he eyed the clock. It was well after five, and they had been practicing dueling for hours.

" You can all go, I'll have some Healer Trainees restore the rest of them" Moody said.

Doe began to walk out with Sirius at her heels.

" Hold on a minute, Meadowes" Moody called.

Doe stopped in the doorway, and nodded to Sirius who said he'd wait for her outside of the office.

" That was some dueling I saw today" Moody commented.

A small smile crept onto her face, " Thank you, Sir"

Moody shook his head, " No sir here, you call me Moody". It came out very harshly.

" Okay, Thank you _Moody_ " she corrected herself.

" You've got some talent" Moody added, " keep working, at the rate you're going you'll make a good auror"

Doe smiled brightly and Moody raised an angry eyebrow.

" I didn't tell you that for you to rest on your laurels" he snapped, " don't screw up"

Doe shook her head, " I won't" she promised.

He nodded back, " Alright, get out of here".

Doe left quickly, not wanting to give Moody any reason to be unhappy with her. Sjhe found Sirius waiting for her outside of the office.

" There you are" he said as she came out, " what did Moody want?"

Doe shook her head, " Nothing, important, just told me I did well today"

Sirius and Doe started to walk, " Well you did" he pointed out.

" So did you" she told him, " you took down two of those Beauxbaton girls at once!"

Sirius grinned roughisly, " Well I do have a talent for getting girls to fall at my feet"

She rolled her eyes at him and watched him laugh.

They walked to the Atrium, and headed towards the outside of the ministry where it was safe to apparate in and out.

" You going home?" Sirius asked when they were safely on the muggle street.

" Yeah Remus is waiting for me" She told him.

Sirius grinned widely and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, " Oh is he? What are you to going to do, Chat about the weather?"

She shoved him hard in the shoulder, " Don't be a git".

He laughed, " You don't know what you would do without me".

" Don't make me forced to find out" she warned.

He laughed, " I'll see you tomorrow, be careful getting home"

" You too" She told him and with a quick pop she apparated to her front door.

She was shocked to find Remus waiting there for her already.

" Rem" she said quickly, " I'm sorry were you waiting long?" she asked opening her front door so he could get in.

He shook his head, " No I just got here, don't worry".

It was empty. Lily had told her this morning she was going to Sirius' apartment to hang out with James tonight.

Once inside the apartment, Doe wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her.

He smiled and found her waist bringing her forward to kiss him.

" How was work today?" she asked when they broke apart, keeping her arms around his neck.

" It was good, I met the head of my Department" Remus said running his hands up and down her sides.

" What about you?" he asked, one of his hands holding her hips.

" We spent all day dueling. Moody worked us to exhaustion" she told him.

" You may want to get used to it" Remus said , " somehow I think Aurors may have to duel quite often"

Doe grinned, " Somehow I'll manage" she said.

" Today's September firs, you knowt" She said sadly thinking about how a year ago they were all sitting in the Great Hall enjoying the feast.

It was the first time in 7 years she hadn't spent her September first on the Hogwarts Express and enjoying being back at Hogwarts.

" I know," Remus said, " At Eleven all I could think was 'there goes the Hogwarts Express'"

" And the feast" Remus added, " I'll miss that"

Doe smiled widely remembering what she had done yesterday.

" Wait here," she told him and dashing into the kitchen.

" Doe?" he called slightly concerned, staying in the living room where she left him.

" Hold on" she called back.

She opened the fridge and took out the chocolate cupcake she had picked up from the bakery yesterday. For the past three years, she had given Remus a chocolate cupcake on this day, even before they were even dating.

" Close your eyes and put your hands out" she ordered before leaving the kitchen.

She heard him sigh, but follow her directions.

She came out of the kitchen and placed the cupcake in his outstretched hands.

" Okay open" She told him.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the cupcake in his hand. A wide smile appeared on his face.

" To feed your chocolate habit" She told him happily.

He grabbed her and pulled her towards him.

" I don't know what I love better, you or this cupcake?" he said taking a small bite.

She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned over to kiss him passionately.

" Definitely you" he whispered in her ear.

He kissed her again, and she led him over to the couch, pulling him on top of her.

" You know, we couldn't do this at Hogwarts" Remus said a few hours later. He was sitting against the arm of our couch, and Doe was leaning against him, in his arms.

" This is true" she told him reaching up and kissing his jaw.

" If you keep doing that, I'm not going to want to leave" Remus told her shifting so that she was slightly underneath him.

" So, don't" she told him, " stay here tonight"

Remus raised his eyebrow, " Really?"

She nodded quickly, " Please" she begged, " I promise to wake you up early and everything so you can still go to work"

Remus smiled, " You don't have to ask me twice"

She grinned and leaned up to kiss him.

They were interrupted by Lily and James walking through the door. They tried to shift quickly, but they had already seen them.

" Don't mind us" Lily said with a quick giggle, dragging James behind her, a sheepish grin on her face.

James winked at them, " Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt Moony".

They disappeared into Lily's room.

Doe turned back to Remus, both of their faces bright red.

" Come on" she told him and led him back to her bedroom.


	48. 48 The Lively Portkey

6

The Lively Portkey:

" Come on," Sirius begged to all of them, " It will be fun".

They were all sitting in the Marauder's massive living rooms, all of them having just gotten off work a few hours ago. Doe was sharing an armchair with Remus, and listening to Sirius try to convince all of us them go with him to the wizard bar downtown.

" I don't know, I'm kind of tired" Lily said said from her comfortable spot against James.

Sirius gave her a knowing look and turned to the rest of them.

" You are all eighteen years old and acting like you are middle aged" he said breathlessly, obviously disapprovingly.

" Don't you want to have fun?" he asked incredulously.

" I do" Peter added quickly.

" See Wormtail wants to go" Sirius said quickly.

Doe sighed, she had spent all of today dueling with two other people and she was exhausted, but it would be fun to get out. She had spent all summer either in her apartment or theirs.

"It might be kind of fun" Remus said to her, thinking along the same lines.

" I'll go" she told Sirius.

" Me too" Remus added,

Sirius looked quickly to where James and Lily sat, " And the happy couple"

" I want to go" James said turning to Lily.

" Well if everyone else is going, I'll go" she said sounding slightly defeated.

" Alright let's go" Sirius said excitedly.

" You are far too excited for this Siri" Doe told him shaking her head as she got up from the chair.

" I have not committed my life to a series of perpetual boring events, I won't do it" Sirius said.

They all got up from their various spots around the room.

" Alright let's go" Sirius said and with a pop he disapparated. Slowly, they all followed him. Appearing on a well lit London street. It was lined with various muggle clubs and bars, all pouring light onto the otherwise dark city street.

In the middle of two of them was a small dark alley, with a door at the end.

" Muggles don't see the door, it's genius. Just like the leaky cauldron" Sirius said walking quickly through alley, with all of them at his heels.

As soon as he opened the door, they were met with a strange sight.

The entire bar was crowded with tons of young witches and wizards. None of them looked like they were anymore than 10 years out of Hogwarts. Doe saw many people she recognized from Hogwarts.

The bar was to their left and to their right was a collection of tables, a small dance floor, and a stage where a group of sweaty looking wizards were playing guitars.

" Isn't it great?" Sirius asked all of them.

" Definitely!" James agreed.

" It's wicked" Peter said looking around the room widely.

It was impressive, even Doe had to admit.

" Where did you find out about this?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned, " This cute secretary from the Department of Mysteries. Moody had me bring something down there the other day and she told me all about it"

" You would find out about it from a girl" Lily said shaking her head.

Sirius grinned, " Women seem to love to impress me".

Lily and Doe shared a collective eyeroll, much to Sirius amusement.

" I'm going to get us all drinks" Sirius said going over to the bar, while they all sat down at one of the larger circular tables.

" I've got to admit it, " Lily said looking around the room, " Sirius does know how to pick places"

" It's like he's got a radar for this kind of thing" Remus agreed.

She looked around the room. In one of the corners was Amelia Bones standing with Benjy Flitwick. She caught her eye and waved happily.

Doe waved back, she had been one of her closest friends outside of Gryffindor, when she was younger.

" So I found out what the deal with Otto Bagman was" Remus said to her.

Doe turned to him, " Really what was wrong with him?" she asked.

The day before Remus had told her Otto Bagman had gotten into a very loud argument with his brother Ludo in the office that Remus worked in, but no one knew why. The Bagman brothers were extremely close and rarely fought.

" Well apparently," Remus began, " Ludo was offered a position on Puddlemore United, and Otto was quite angry because they had refused him the year before"

" Wow, " Doe said thinking about it, " that's unfortunate. I'm surprised he was so angry about it"

" It was very disappointing, they were always so close" Remus agreed.

Sirius walked back over to the table, conjuring drinks to everyone.

" Five firewhiskeys for the grown ups" Sirius said as everyone but Doe got a drink, " and a butterbeer for the kid" he said placing the butterbeer in front of her with a large grin.

" Har har" Doe said narrowing her eyes at him.

James, Lily, Remus, and Peter shared a collective chuckle.

Ever since the night when she humiliated herself by getting completely inebriated in front of everyone in Gryffindor tower, she avoided firewhiskey as much as possible.

" It's okay that you're a lightweight Meadowes, we love you anyway" Sirius assured her.

" I'm not a lightweight, I just can't drink as much as you" Doe pointed out.

" Care to test that theory?" Sirius asked holding out his firewhiskey.

" Nice try" she said shaking her head and taking a sip of her butterbeer.

" Let's not repeat seventh year, shall we?" Lily said with a large grin.

" Well if it isn't Hogwarts biggest egos and all at one table?" a drawling voice said behind them.

They turned around to see Lucius Malfoy, with Narcissa Black on his arm.

" Maybe our egos are large because we have a lot to be proud of" Sirius said with a slight smile,

" not really something you Slytherins can boast about huh?" James added

Lucius smiled a cold smile and looked directly at James, " Well at least I can say I don't disgrace my pureblood name by dirtying it with a mudblood" he said looking at James and Lily's interlocked hands.

Lily's eyes widened and James lips curled into an angry grimace.

Doe set her jaw together.

" You're right Lucius, it's not who you spend time with that disgraces your name, you do that all on your own with your complete incompetence with anything requiring wand" She snapped.

Lucius furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her, his expression changing into a wide smile,

" You know Dorcas, I would think you would know better than anyone what happens to purebloods who end up with muggles. Or have you already forgotten what happened to your dear old dad?" Lucius asked coldly.

Fury bubbled through her and her hand flew to her pocket where her wand was.

Remus stopped her, putting his hand over her arm.

" That was uncalled for Lucius," Remus said darkly, "you should leave now or I won't stop her next time".

Lucius smiled coldly, " You know it's actually entertaining how proudly you all brandish your tretery. I wonder what will become of you when it's no longer socially acceptable to behave as you do"

" Better be a blood traitor than be like you" Sirius snapped.

" Well you would think so" Narcissa said finally speaking up, " having already disgraced our family's name"

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Wow, Narcissa you're starting to sound more like Aunt Druella everyday"

" Some people actually listen to their parents, not like you would know" Narcissa snapped.

" If you had been smarter you would have followed Andromeda's lead instead of turning into an equally as repulsive creature as Bellatrix" Sirius said with a slight eye roll.

" How dare you talk about Bella like that" Narcissa said harshly, " You'll get yours, Sirius. And so will Andromeda for that matter"

" Come on, Lucius," she said tugging on his arm, " let's go find somewhere with more selective patrons".

He listened to her and they left the bar, leaving their entire group in angry frustration.

" They're the definition of evil" Lily said in frustration.

" That entire family is awful, she is just as bad as Bellatrix now" Doe said angrily.

She turned to Sirius realizing what she had just said, " Sorry, Sirius, I didn't realize-"

He cut her off, " They're awful, I know. They're not my family anymore"

Doe threw him a soft smile. She knew that despite how much he hated his entire family, it couldn't be easy to condemn blood.

" God Lucius is foul" James said, " you know his dad was just as bad" and James launched into a conversation about the time that the Potter's had been invited to a barbeque at the Malfoy's.

Doe sat back only half listening.

" So, are you angry or sad? I can't tell" Remus asked looking at her with concern.

" I don't know, both maybe?" Doe said slightly confused and ran her hand through her hair.

Remus grabbed her hand and held it tightly, " Well either way, you're justified"

" Thank you for stopping me" Doe told him, " I don't even know what I was going to do".

Remus shook his head, " I didn't want you to get hurt".

Dpe reached over and kissed him on the cheek.

He smiled and took another sip of his firewhiskey.

".. Moony, do you remember what Year was it when we went out on the full moon and Prongs almost got bit by a snake?" Sirius asked.

Remus sighed, " That was fifth year".

Doe had almost forgotten that Remus had told James to tell Lily, she was so used to keeping it such a secret. She had reacted exactly as Doe told Remus she would, it didn't bother her in the slightest.

" Yes, before Christmas" James remembered, " and it hurt really bad, the little bastard got me right in the calf….."

They launched into another Marauder story that had even Lily and Doe doubled over in laughter.


	49. 49 The Cut

7

The Cut:

" So I hate to be the one to tell you this, but seven of you do not have the magical skills necessary to be aurors" Moody said harshly on the morning they were meant to begin their physical training.

He had called all twenty of the trainees into the room and made them sit down in the chairs in front of him.

" Over the last week I observed you all and documented your magical ability" Moody began, " me and a group of senior aurors observed your disarming, stunning, and overall dueling abilities and ranked you all best to worst"

The surrounding atmosphere was silent. No one dared speak. There was a collective fear from everyone, seeing as Moody was cutting just under half of them.

" And as unpleasant as it is, this office can't have anyone who isn't the best" Moody grumbled.

He lifted his wand and rolled pieces of parchment flew to seven of the trainees. Doe looked quickly making sure Frank and Sirius weren't among them. They weren't.

" All of you with the parchment have been cut, you may leave" Moody told them.

Almost all of the seven, were girls, with the exception of two. Doe realized nervously that of the 13 of them left, the only girls left where her and three girls from Beauxbatons.

The seven trainees left, and Moody waited until they all had left the room to continue talking.

" Okay so for you remaining trainees" Moody said, " the physical portion of your training has begun"

Moody lifted his wand and the chairs disappeared from under them. They all fell to the floor, which was made of a springy, mat like material.

" The first two days of your physical training will be making sure you all are up to the challenge physically"

Moody raised his wand and the wall to their right disappeared as well, revealing what looked like a muggle gym with a track, several large punching bags, and a large ring with a mat that her mother had once told her muggles used for sport, 'boxing' she thought it was.

" This morning," Moody said, " you will all run around that track until I tell you stop"

Several members of the group sighed as they walked over to the tack and began to run.

It was exhausting. That probably was the point.

They ran around the track over and over, not stopping for what seemed like endless amounts of time. Moody sat near them and kept shouting things like " What would you do if there was a death eater chasing you?" and " You've got to be quicker than that if you expect to be successful".

Finally by lunch time, Moody released them to go eat. Doe's legs felt so numb that every step was painful. Sirius and Doe walked over into the lunch room quietly, both extremely exhausted. They were sweaty and their bodies felt heavy from exhaustion.

" Funny how McGonagall didn't mention this when we said we wanted to be aurors" Sirius said practically falling into his chair.

" A simple, it's exhausting would have sufficed" Doe agreed, letting her head rest on her arms, ignoring the food in front of her.

" There they are" Lily said happily, pulling James over to the table where Sirius and Doe sat.

Remus and Peter emerged from the elevator a few minutes later and joined them.

" Why do you two look so exhausted?" James asked Sirius and Doe. Doe just groaned from the table.

" Moody is really trying to break us" Sirius said leaning against his chair, " he had us running for the last two hours"

" You look tired" Remus commented from beside her.

" I am" Doe said sitting back up and taking a sip of the pumpkin juice in front of her.

" That sounds really hard" Peter said looking to Sirius.

" It is," Sirius said, " and the classes haven't even started this is just weeding the weak people out"

" I would never be able to do that" Lily said shaking her head, " it's the fear of being cut that would get me"

" Well lucky you don't have that worry about that in the Muggle Liaison office" James said with a snicker.

" It's actually very important work" Lily said flicking a piece of food at James.

" Oh I'm sure it is" James said with a smile.

Lily rolled her eyes, " You know what, Potter"

James grinned at her, smiling fondly at the phrase that once used to start vicious rows between the two of them. It seemed like that was so much longer than a year ago.

The rest of the day seemed as if it would never end. After lunch, Moody worked them tirelessly, having them work with the punching bags for hours.

By days end, her knuckles were black and blue. Some of the other trainees were good at it. Sirius and some of the Durmstrang boys were able to through all of their strength against the bag, while Doe came to the realization of just how weak she was.

" That was tiring" Sirius commented as they left the ministry several hours later. All of the trainees were sufficiently exhausted.

Doe held up her bruised knuckled, " You think?".

" Don't worry" Sirius said shaking his head, " you did great at the magical portion, you'll be fine"

Doe nodded, all though she was worried. Some of the other trainees had more physical strength than she could hope for.

" So what are you doing tonight?" She asked Sirius as she walked through the atrium.

" More like who" he said with a wide grin, " I'm going out with that intern from magical games and sports"

" You're a pig" She told him, shoving him in the arm.

He just smiled, " I am not likely to waste this" he said hands gesturing to his body.

She rolled her eyes.

" What about you?" he asked, " what are you doing while Remus is gone?".

Doe sighed. Tonight was a full moon, and Remus had already left for the cottage. Sometimes she missed him so much she considered becoming an animagus to go with him, but on the one occasion she had mentioned it to him, he had thought it was such a horrible idea to have her anywhere near him when he was like that, that she quickly abandoned it.

" Well James is going with him later, so Lily and I are just going to have a girls night in" she said.

Lily and Doe had been so busy lately that they had carved out tonight for girls time.

" Well have fun and try not to worry about Moony too much" Sirius said.

Doe gave him a look.

" I know, I know, You're going to worry either way. I don't even know why I said it" Sirius said shaking his head.

" I'll see you" he said and disappeared.

Doe headed out onto the street and apparated back home.

Lily was already in the kitchen when she got there. She was cooking something and the entire flat smelled delicious.

" Are you cooking?" Doe asked incredulously, looking over her shoulder.

She had bewitched the pot and pans on their stove and they were now stirring the sauces and noodles on their own.

" Yes I am" Lily said proudly, " I couldn't even look at another takeout container".

Doe grinned sheepishly. She wasn't much of a cook. So she kept the flat well stocked with 'easy' food and they ended up ordering take out in most nights, if they weren't eating out.

" Well it smells delicious" Doe assured her, pulling herself onto the counter so she could talk to her.

" How was training?" Lily asked.

Doe sighed, " Long and exhausting".

She laughed, " McGonagall warned you"

" I know, I know. It'll get easier eventually, when I'm worried about being killed by death eaters rather than Moody cutting me" Doe said with slight laughter.

Lily shook her head, " You, Dorcas Meadowes, are insane".

" Speaking of Death Eaters" Lily said leaning against the counter, " my entire office is Slytherin free, isn't that weird?"

Doe shrugged, " Not really, Lil. You work in Muggle Liason. Most Slytherins are purebloods who hate muggles. They're not likely to want to work with them".

" Still it's odd though, not even one like Andromeda Black?" she asked.

" Besides her and Slughorn, I can't think of a single Slytherin I like" she pointed out.

" Oh yeah," Lily said, " I forgot you and Severus are no longer friends"

Doe nodded.

" You never told me what happened with that," Lily said joining me on the counter.

Doe sighed, " Well do you remember when I told you I got hurt by the whomping willow?" she asked her.

She nodded, " Yeah, that was when you were mad at Sirius".

Doe nodded, " Well that was why actually, you see it wasn't the whomping willow that had hurt me, it was Remus"

Lily looked very confused.

" It wasn't his fault, it was an accident. It happened on a full moon" Doe told her quickly.

She still looked confused, " What does that have to do with Severus?"

" Well," she started, " Sirius had told Severus that 'the secret' the marauders were hiding, was where Remus turned, he sent him there hoping Remus would hurt him, but I saw Severus try to go in and I went with him, which was when I got hurt. So Severus found everything out and he was mad when I forgave both Remus and Sirius" Doe told her.

Lily looked shocked, " He got mad at you for that? Why?"

She shrugged, " He thinks both Remus and Sirius are bad people and didn't want to be around them, even by association"

Lily shook her head, " That is absolutely ridiculous" .

" I know, thats why we stopped being friends" Doe told her.

" You know, James told me he saved you that night, granted he didn't tell me how" Lily said.

" He did" Doe told her, " If it wasn't for James, I might not be here"

She smiled, " He really has changed hasn't he?"

" He has" Doe agreed, getting out our plates for dinner.

" You know if you had told me two years ago that I would be talking to you about you and James' relationship, I wouldn't have believed you" Doe told her.

" You?" Lily laughed, " I wouldn't have believed me".

And they both burst into laughter.


	50. 50 The Great Pain

8

The Great Pain:

" Alright Piers, Meadowes you're up" Moody said a few days later.

Doe felt something in her stomach drop. For the last two days, Moody had been pairing them up and having them fight each other. Doe watched everyone else do it except for her and she was finally up.

Piers got up to the mat with her and smile slightly. She gave him a weird look. Who smiles at the person they're about to fight with?

Doe took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Piers lunged forward, and Doe took a step back.

" On don't worry Meadowes," Piers said with a smile, " I won't hurt you too bad".

Doe jumped back again but not quickly enough, she felt his fist collide with her side. She instantly felt the pain, like her rib was broken but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

She stood back up and ducked as he swung towards her again. She reached forward and tried to hit him in the chest but he grabbed her arm, blocking her, and swung with his other arm, his hand colliding with her jaw.

She tried to kick upward, and got him him in the leg. He let go of her arm instinctively but swung again and this time hit her in the stomach.

She let out an involuntary noise of pain, and Piers lunged forward again, knocking her to the ground both arms pinned above her head.

He was just stronger than her, there was nothing she could do.

" Alright enough" Moody shouted and he got off of her.

Doe slowly got back to her feet, feeling pain all over her body.

" Longbottom and Bordeaulle your up" Moody said.

Doe walked slowly over to where she had been sitting before and slumped down.

" Are you okay?" Sirius asked her quickly.

She nodded, " I'm fine."

She was only being slightly truthful. It hurt like hell. Piers had wiped the floor with her and she knew it, if she wanted to make it, she was going to have to get better at this.

The rest of Physical training consisted of fighting. So far she had lost to both Piers and a boy from Durmstrang. Moody had never paired her with a girl. So a few days later, Moody watched two of the trainees get of off the mat and finish what had been a very brutal fight and called out the next names,

" Black and Meadowes"

Sirius and Doe both looked at eachother with a look of concern, neither one of them wanted to hurt each other even slightly.

" Get up there" Moody called harshly, seeing their hesitation.

" Moody, couldn't anyone else do it?" Sirius asked bravely.

Moody raised an eyebrow, " I'm sure they could, but if you don't get up here and do it, you'll be cut"

Sirius took a deep breath.

" Come on" she said grabbing his arm, " It'll be fine, let's go".

Sirius looked wistfully at the mat and then followed her, standing on the opposite side of it from her.

They stood there for a minute until Moody said harshly, " Go on now".

Knowing Sirius wouldn't, she walked towards him, they both had their arms up.

Sirius 'swung' towards her and missed, allowing her to duck, an obviously fake punch.

" You'll fight like you would with anyone else, or I'll cut you Black" Moody ordered.

Sirius sighed, looking like he was about to walk off the mat. Doe wasn't going to let him. It wasn't worth it.

She swung and hit him in the shoulder, pleading with her eyes.

He sighed and lunged forward. Doe didn't have enough time to move backward. She felt his fist collide with her hip. It obviously wasn't full force, but he was strong enough that it hurt.

They went back and forth like that for a few minutes, neither one of them wanting to hit the other hard enough to end it.

Doe knew Sirius was strong enough that he could have her pinned down with one good punch, but he didn't.

" Just do it once," Doe whispered, " and then we can just stop".

Sirius shook his head furiously. They went back and forth for a few more minutes, almost dancing around each other.

Doe looked at Sirius. He sighed and lunged forward, knocking her in the stomach and pinning her down. It hurt. She knew that it wasn't full force either. She couldn't imagine how much damage he could really cause to someone he wanted to hurt.

" Okay, thats enough" Moody said impatiently.

Sirius got off of her instantly and helped her to her feet, " Are you okay?"" he asked her quickly.

She nodded, " I'm good,".

Her entire body ached in pain, but Sirius felt bad enough. He didn't need to know that.

" You can all go, that's enough for today" Moody said.

Sirius and Doe got up to leave.

" Black, stay behind a minute" Moody called to him.

Sirius sighed.

Doe left the room and waited for Sirius. He came out a few minutes later, looking slightly calmer than he had before.

" Are you okay?" Doe asked.

He nodded, " Moody just wanted to let me know why he forced me to do it"

" Apparently aurors need to be able to follow directions implicitly" he said with an eye roll.

He sighed, " That was awful, you sure you're okay?"

She nodded quickly, " Siri, I'm fine"

He shook his head, " It felt so wrong, I couldn't analyze the ways to take you down. You're my best friend".

Doe stopped him and pulled him into a hug, " I'm fine. Honestly".

He ruffled her hair quickly, " Alright Meadowes, don't get so sentimental on me"

Doe rolled her eyes at him and quickly said goodbye, disapparating to her apartment, where she could sit in a bathtub full of ice and perform some magical remedy enchantments.

" Ow," Doe said slightly, clutching at her stomach a few days later. She was in Remus' room and she had been sitting on his bed. She had leaned over him and accidently hit her stomach on his elbow, where she was still tender from all of the fights she had lost.

" Are you alright" Remus asked her.

Doe nodded and leaned back over kissing him again.

He held his hand on the back of her neck while she bent her head and kissed up his neck.

His other hand ran up her side, lifting her shirt slightly. He stopped. Pulling away from her instantly and lifted her shirt higher.

" Doe" he said quietly,his voice full of concern.

His fingers traced the collection of black and blue bruises across her stomach and sides, she was covered in them.

" What happened to you?" he asked quietly, his eyes still wide.

" It's nothing, it's just auror training and I bruise easily, you know that" she told him quickly.

" Doe this looks serious," he said looking at a collection of bruises closer.

She pulled his face back " Remus, I promise you I'm fine, now please just keep kissing me"

He rolled his eyes slightly and with a quick smile, she pulled him back towards her, silencing him.


	51. 51 Finally

9

Finally:

Before they knew it, the end of the physical training was over and the last of Doe's bruises were starting to fade. She had managed to win two fights before it was over. One against a Beauxbatons girl and one against a Durmstrang boy.

But even the two most recent victories did little to keep her from being nervous about being cut at the end of this portion of training.

They all sat nervously around Moody while he spoke,

" Four of you have proved that you do not have the qualities involved in physical training that are necessary to be an auror" Moody said, " this is not determined by how hard you punch, but sometimes by how well you take one, or how long you can draw a fight out."

He bewitched four pieces of parchment to fly to trainees around the room.

One flew towards Doe and she held her breath as it landed on the lap of the Durmstrang boy on the other side of her. Doe let out the breath she had been holding onto too.

The four trainees with papers got up angrily from the room. From his seat, Frank smiled happily at Sirius and Doe.

They had made it through training. Doe looked around the room. In addition to Sirius, Frank and herself, Piers and an older Hufflepuff student named Frederick had both sat smiling, 2 Durmstrang boys, a Beauxbaton girl, and a girl from the Salem School in the United States had also made it.

Nine of them in all.

Moody cleared his throat loudly and they all looked at him.

" Congratulations to all of you who have made it through your training" Moody said roughly, " The nine of you will continue on to study to become aurors."

He raised his wands and a leaflet of parchment flew to all of them.

" There you will find your class schedules in addition to the books you will need" Moody said.

Doe read through the list of classes. Concealment & Disguise, Stealth & Tracking, Poisons & Antidotes, Use of Unforgivable Curses and Dueling.

They all sounded amazing. She couldn't wait to start them.

" Your classes start Monday," Moody said, " in the classrooms down the hallway. I personally teach Stealth & Tracking and Use of Unforgivable Curses."

He waited a minute, " You may want to enjoy this weekend, seeing as starting Monday, you will be busier than you've ever imagined"

He dismissed them after that, even though it was barely 2 oclock.

" We did it!" Frank said happily as they left the classroom.

" We did Hogwarts proud" Sirius agreed.

" I cannot wait to start these classes" Doe said happily, looking at Class Lists again.

" You are such a Gryffindork" Sirius said with a head shake.

" That was actually pretty clever, if you ignore the twinge of insult" Doe told him.

" I'm nothing if not the full package" Sirius said with a wink.

" Do you want to come with me to Diagon Alley to get the books we need?" Doe asked.

" Are books all you think about?" Sirius asked in mock horror, " But yes I need to go, come on"

They apparated and ended up in the Leaky Cauldron.

" Hey Tom" Doe called to the bartender as they walked in.

He flashed them a wide smile, " Hey there Doe, Sirius. How's the ministry?" he asked.

" You're looking at two official Auror students" Sirius said with smile.

" No kidding? Good for you two" Tom said happily as they walked towards the entrance to Diagon Alley.

The Alley was empty, seeing as it was such a weird time in the day. Sirius and Doe walked over to Flourish and Blotts. The shop wasn't very full today. Only a few patrons walked in and out of the isles.

Doe looked at their list of supplies and pulled the books. They were all enormous.

 _Tracking the Enemy_ was larger than any transfiguration book Ishe had ever purchased and _There's a Reason They're Unforgivable_ was twice the size of that last one.

" This is not a book, it's a house" Sirius said holding up _The Complete Book of Poisons and Antidotes._

" There's apparently a lot to learn" Doe said handing him a copy of _The Auror Handbook_ , which required them to show their certificates before they could even purchase it.

They brought their books up to the counter and a boy who used to be Hufflepuff rang them up.

" Doe, good to see you, how are you!" Mr. Blott said as he came out of the storeroom.

" Hi Mr. Blotts, Im great how are you?" Doe said.

" Fabulous" he said smiling brightly, " I've got to say, we miss you around here. My son here isn't quite as good as you used to be" he said clapping the cashier on the back.

" So you were my replacement this summer?" the boy asked.

" Yes she was, and she did a better job than you do" Mr. Blotts told him.

The son gave him an annoyed look and left the cashier to him.

Doe noticed Sirius standing there slightly off to the side, " Oh, Mr. Blotts, this is my friend Sirius"

" Nice to meet you, " Mr. Blotts said shaking his hand.

He turned back to her, " Did you hear about Declan? Poor thing"

" No, what happened?" She asked quickly.

Mr. Blotts bowed his head, " He was murdered, by Death Eaters on the Knight Bus of all places"

Her eyes widened in horror, " That's horrific"

Mr. Blotts shook his head, " These Death Eaters are getting stronger mark my words, they'll be more killings".

Sirius and Doe paid Mr. Blotts for their books and left the shop quickly.

" That sucks about your old co-worker" Sirius said.

Doe nodded and then turned to him, " Sirius, this is getting worse not better"

Sirius sighed, " It's going to be a war. I just don't think it's avoidable"

She took a deep breath, knowing he was probably right.


	52. 52 The Celebration

10

The Celebration:

" You did not" Doe said shaking her head at Sirius.

" Yes I did, you just don't remember because you were six" Sirius said proudly.

" So were you!" she said raising her hands in disbelief.

They were all sitting around a table at the Lively Portkey, enjoying their Saturday night, and Sirius was trying to convince everyone that when they were little he had managed to get ahold of his uncle's wand and start a fire in the park.

" Well you certainly wreaked havoc when you got to Hogwarts" James said trying to appease them both and end the argument.

" That he did" Remus agreed.

Sirius grinned widely and kicked his feet onto the table, " We all have a destiny" he said with a wink.

Doe shoved his feet of the table, seeing as they were almost touching her drink.

" Oh stop being so moody Meadowes, we're supposed to be celebrating our success here" Sirius said quickly, ruffling her hair.

" I'm not being moody" she said with a slight pout.

" Ignore, Sirius" Lily said quickly, " he's already tipsy".

" You bet I am" Sirius said happily taking another sip from the cup in front of him, " I have just made it through the most difficult training program at the ministry, I want to celebrate".

Sirius jumped up from the table and walked over to the dance floor where a couple of girls who were standing off to the side. They all watched as he began talking to them and had them smiling and dancing with him within seconds.

" He's got talent" James said observing the scene.

" It's a gift" Peter agreed.

Lily and Doe met eyes for a second and rolled their eyes together.

" It's an overrated gift" Remus whispered in Doe's ear.

She turned to him, brandishing a huge smile.

Doe pulled her chair closer to him, so she could hold his hand.

" You know the one thing I do miss about Hogwarts?" Remus asked bluntly.

She turned to him and fluttered her eyelashes suggestively, " Madam Pince?"

He rolled his eyes, " Yes, Doe. I hate to be the one to tell you this but I am harboring a secret love for Irma Pince".

Doe smiled graciously, " Well you never know, that could be why you spent so much time there"

He sighed, a smile spreading on his face, " Yes that's it, in fact I ought to leave now and go confess my undying love for her"

She clutched his hand tighter, " Okay, I'm done. What do you miss about Hogwarts?"

He smiled, " I just miss being around you all so much. Whether it was in class or meals, we always saw each other".

" I know what you mean" She told him.

It was something that all of them had had to come to terms with. They spent most evenings and weekends together, but their jobs kept them all so busy that they didn't get to see each other as often as they all wanted too.

" But that makes our time more special" Lily said joining the conversation.

" Plus we can do so much more outside of the castle" James agreed.

Remus nodded, " No, you're all right, I was just being nostalgic"

" It is strange that we're not there right now though," Doe said, " It doesn't seem like fall without Hogwarts"

" It doesn't" James said reminiscing slightly. He took a final sip from his glass of firewhiskey, and emptied it.

" I'll go replenish everyone's drinks" Doe said taking out her wand and conjuring all of the glasses to follow her to the bar.

The stools of the bar were littered with young witches and wizards. Doe made her way in between two of the seats and put the glasses down on the table.

" A few refills of firewhiskey and a butterbeer over here when you get a second" Doe called to the bartender, who was refilling the shelves with his wand.

" Sure just give me a second" he called back.

Doe stood there looking at all of the different bottles of liquor lining the shelves.

" Doe Meadowes is that you?"

She turned around to see Xenophilius Lovegood.

" Xeno! Hi, how are you?" She asked happily.

Xenophilius had been a Ravenclaw but had been a good friend, they were potions partners their entire third year.

" Very well, thank you. Just missing Pandora a little. How about you?" he asked.

" Im great," Doe told him, " How's the Department of Mysteries?"

Xenophilius shrugged, " Mysterious. They don't really tell us much about anything, I don't know if I'm going to stay"

Doe frowned, " Oh I'm sorry, do you know what you do want to do?"

Xeno thought for a moment, " I think I might like to try a career in journalism"

" Really, like writing for the daily prophet?" she asked him.

" Maybe I ought to start my own" he said, " something a little less traditional"

" Heres your drinks!" the bartender said refilling them with his wand and placing the butterbeer in front of her.

Doe raised her wand and watched them float next to her.

" I think that's a great idea, Xeno" she told him, " You'd be good at that, you don't get caught up with the quibbles of the majority"

" Quibbles" Xeno repeated, " I quite like that. Maybe I'll name it the Quibbler"

Doe laughed, " Sounds extremely appropriate, I'll see you" she told him.

She brought the drinks back to the table and sat down.

In her absence, the conversation had turned to Peter's lack of dates and she watched Peter turn bright red at James' words.

" Well theres this girl in my Department, she's a blonde, I could set you two up" James said.

Peter blushed furiously, " Oh, I don't know about that".

" James, Peter can get his own women" Doe said sitting down.

Peter through her an appreciative glance and avoided James' eyes.

" Yes, it's his business" Remus agreed.

James held his hands up, " I'm just trying to get Wormtail a bird,"

" I appreciate it" Peter said quietly and then he looked up, " Look at Sirius" he said with a shake of his head.

They all looked up and saw that Sirius was dancing with both of the girls from earlier, one on each arm.

He saw us watching him and winked.

" He certainly knows how to have fun" Lily said with a slight shake of her head.


	53. 53 Just Like Hogwarts

11

Just Like Hogwarts:

Moody's predictions had been right. Their classes were extremely hard and very time consuming. It was like being at Hogwarts but on steroids. They were expected to read several chapters a night and had much more work than they had ever had before at Hogwarts.

Their teachers expected them to be able to master spells during the class time and be able to perform them perfectly.

Even the classes themselves were harder, there concepts were geared into transforming them into the best aurors possible, and as such were very hands on and serious.

They also encompassesdsome of the strangest concepts they had ever encountered, Yesterday's Concealment and Disguise class had consisted of them all charming themselves to look different. And their Professor, Auror Greenboil had made sure everyone looked so unrecognizable it was actually frightening.

Moody's classes though, were by far the hardest and required the most work. He had started off by lecturing them everyday on the importance of 'Constant Vigilance' a term he had coined to keep them on their toes and constantly questioning their surroundings.

Today's class was one Doe was most interested and scared to go to, after several days of studying the three unforgivable curses consequences they were finally going to have the opportunity to try them.

" Now aurors and very high-up ministry officials are the only ones who are allowed to perform these curses. They're extremely dangerous and the most vicious curses in our world. So you will respect them, I don't want any fooling around" Moody snapped.

He lined them all up, he told them that today he would be performing the Imperius curse on all of them. Some of the people in the class gasped.

Doe wasn't looking forward to it, but she knew chances were pretty good it would be used on her at some point in her career and she didn't want to be unprepared.

"Any takers for who wants to go first?" Moody asked with a slight snicker.

No one from their group of nine answered him. Everyone looked at him with slight trepidation.

After another moment of silence, Doe stood forward.

" I'll do it" she said quietly.

Moody eyed her curiously, " Alright Meadowes stand over here" he said pointing to a spot a few feet in front of him.

Doe stood there, trying to ignore the slight shaking there was in her knees.

Moody raised his wand, " _Imperio!_ "

At first she didn't feel any different. She had expected more, like she would feel as though she was bound by chains or something. She didn't feel any differently.

" Now, jump" Moody ordered.

It suddenly changed. She didn't want to jump, but her legs were no longer controlled by her. She had no choice. She jumped slightly.

" Now jump onto the table" Moody ordered.

The table was very high up, several feet. A jump that normally would have had her slightly concerned, but she did it without hesitation, sticking the landing proudly.

" Now come down, and raise your wand to Longbottom" Moody said.

Doe didn't hesitate at all, her body responded fully to Moody's orders and she took my wand out pointing it directly at Frank.

" Now jinx him" Moody ordered.

Her mouth started to open to say the curse.

She felt so light, like all of her problems had gone away and here she was enjoying the effects.

 _Because you're not in control of them_ a tiny voice said in her head.

 _Why would you jinx Frank, he's your friend_ it said again.

Doe hesitated every so slightly trying to lower her wand. It was harder than she thought. Her arm wouldn't budge and no matter how hard she set her jaw her lips get trying to pry themselves open, desperate to utter the jinx.

" See now, you see how she's starting to fight it" Moody said, " but it's very strong"

His words drew it out of her, and her mouth opened and the jinx came out. Frank was instantly stuck together in the leg locker curse.

Moody lifted the curse from her instantly and revived Frank. She took a deep breath, it felt like the world was spinning back and she was regaining control.

" And how did that feel?" Moody asked her.

" Awful" she said shaking her head, " You feel so light and out of control"

Moody frowned turning back to the class " Most people like the feeling of the Imperius curse, it causes you to feel very detached from your problems and your fears, however most people also can't fight it even slightly"

Doe walked back over to where everyone else stood, feeling very exhausted.

" Alright, Darwil, you're up" Moody said raising his wand. The Durmstrang boy next to her walked over with a sigh.

They spent the rest of class watching everyone face being under the Imperius curse. Sirius and Piers were the only other two who were able to question the curse even slightly, but like Doe, they ultimately fell victim to it's controlling forces.

After everyone had gone, Moody spent the next two hours discussing the various methods and tactics that you could use to try and combat the curse. They all took diligent notes, being aware of how controlling it could be.

"...so only very skilled witches and wizards can resist the power of this curse, and even they cannot resist it every time. We will do this over and over again. Once a class period. My hope is that by the end of your classes, you will all be able to resist it, or at least put up a fight"

" So he want's us to be impermeable to the strongest curse in the world?" the Beauxbatons girl asked incredulously, " how are we to do that?"

Moody dismissed them and they headed to their Poisons and Antidotes class on the other side of the office.

" That was awful" Sirius said shaking his head, " you're so out of control"

" I hated it" Doe told him, "you could kill someone and have no choice"

" Well I hope no one ever uses it on me" Frank said.

" Someone probably will" Sirius said with a sigh, " it's the nature of the beast".

The day was a long one. In Poisons and Antidotes Auror Raindell spent three hours lecturing on the usefulness and effects of a bezoar, forcing all of them to ingest a harmful poison and use the bezoar to stop it. By the end of it, they all felt the bubbling in their stomach that came from the use of the stone.

Doe noticed how similar this class was to Potions and it made her smile. Even the slight familiarity of Hogwarts was comforting. However, the content was so much more elevated. She could never imagine Professor Slughorn forcing them to take dangerous poisons.

Then again, Slughorn's biggest concern was getting them to pass their O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's, not training them to protect an entire population.

By the end of the day, every Auror student was so exhausted from all of the massive amounts of work they had done today, that most of them couldn't apparate out of there fast enough.

But after their Poisons and Antidotes lesson, Doe stopped by the 'Stealth' classroom to see if Moody was still there.

" Moody, Do you have a minute?" Doe asked, lingering in the doorway, fearing he may not be in the mood to talk. Moody had two moods, and one of them was not very patient.

" Come in, Meadowes" he grunted from the desk.

She walked over cautiously, in case he were to get angry.

" Well? What is it?" he asked.

" Well, you see I had a question about..well about You-Know-Who" she said quietly.

Moody sighed, " You're going to be an auror, soon it will be your job to combat wizards just as dark as him, so I trust you start using the name 'Voldemort'"

She nodded quickly, " Okay, well I was wondering if you had heard any news about which one of _Voldemort_ 's followers had killed my father?"

Moody pursed his lips, " We don't know yet, the identities of his followers and supporters is kept well under wraps, though it's not hard to guess who his main support would draw from"

" Pureblood Slytherins" Doe added.

Moody nodded, " He hates muggles, and muggle-borns specifically, so I doubt he would surround himself with any"

" If you don't mind me being forward," she started, " is he really as strong as people are saying?"

Moody didn't blink. " He is very strong. I wouldn't be surprised if his support grew soon"

Doe took a deep breath, that means that people would support his ideas, and persecute Muggle-borns. Just the thought alone terrified her.

" So you want to stop it, make sure you study and actually make it to fight him" Moody said.

Doe nodded in agreement.

" I was impressed with you and Black's resistance to the Imperius curse today" Moody said, " It's not common"

" Thank you" Doe said, " though I don't really even know how I did it"

" You've got a real talent for this" Moody said, " Your dad did too"

Doe smiled slightly, happy to be compared to her father in any way.

" Now get out of here, you've got class tomorrow" Moody ordered.

Doe left the room soundlessly, torn between wanting to think about her father and wanting to worry about the terror that stemmed from Voldemort.


	54. 54 Strength & Support

12

Strength and Support:

You-Know-Who and Supporters Responsible for the Murder of Several Muggle-born Ministry Employees

Yesterday evening at 10:43 p.m. the dark wizard known as You-Know-Who and his faithful supporters killed three ministry employees. All of the victims were Muggle-born. Greta Rasbowl, Marcus Colby, and Wendy Withers were all found dead in their homes with the dark marks above them. The attacks were motivated by You-Know-Who's stance on muggle-born witches.

" He believes they stole their magic from wizarding families and that they don't deserve to practice magic" an insider reports.

The recent tragedies have proved the strength and determination of the dark lord's influence and the prophet urges all to be aware of danger.

The article on the front page of the prophet sparked conversations all over the Ministry the next day, Everyone was either grieving the loss of the three victims or discussing the influence of Voldemort.

It had put all of their teachers on edge, and every time you turned a corner in the ministry, you heard the hushed whispers of predictions about what he was planning next.

At lunch, Sirius had gotten a hold of a copy of the prophet and read the full article to the table.

" Thats terrifying, he's actually targeting muggle-borns now" Lily said anxiously.

Doe watched as James wrapped a comforting arm around her.

" He is gaining a lot of support" Remus said reading the article again, " It surprised me that enough wizards are foolish enough to stand with him"

" Some pureblood families are very set in their ways" Doe said with a shake of her head.

" I mean his influence is kind of impressive though" Peter said quietly.

James eyed him strangely, " Any lunatic can gain support, it doesn't make him right"

" Let's stop talking about this" Lily said looking very anxious, " let's talk about something less depressing. Like Halloween, any plans?"

Halloween was two weeks away, and it was something none of them had ever experienced outside of Hogwarts. Doe's last Halloween's had been full of feasts, parties, slug club dinners and expeditions in the Forbidden Forest.

" Well, I don't know if you're interested" Sirius said, " but James and I were talking about maybe throwing a little party at our place, and we could invite some of our recent graduates"

" Another marauder party?" Lily asked in disbelief.

" Please tell me no costumes" Doe said quickly.

Sirius laughed, " Calm down Meadowes, no costumes. And yes Lily, contrary to your beliefs some people enjoy a good marauder Soiree"

" Funny how I was not informed of this idea" Remus commented.

" Moony, be quiet. You love our parties" Sirius said with a wide smile.

" Love? I wouldn't go that far" Remus said.

Sirius waved him off, " So Evans, you can join us on Halloween. It'll be fun"

" I like your parties better when McGonagall was there to monitor them" Lily said quietly, " I can't even imagine how bad they'll be now"

Sirius grinned over at James.

" It's going to be epic" James said happily.

Oddly, the excitement surrounding Marauder parties had not dissipated since graduating. Sirius had invited all of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff graduates in addition to the other auror student's, and some of the patrons of the Lively Portkey to the party, and it was all they could talk about.

It was all that the auror trainees were talking about in between classes on Halloween day.

In Stealth & Tracking, they were supposed to be studying the common identifying features of wizards who had become dark when all she could focus on was the chatter between to Durmstrang boys about what the party would be like.

" Alice is so excited" Frank told Sirius, " I think she hopes it will feel like Hogwarts again"

" Oh it will" Sirius assured him, " only better"

"... something more interesting than identifying a dark wizard, Black?" Moody called to Sirius from the front of the room.

" Nope, nothing at all" Sirius said, turning back to the notes he was taking.

Moody gave him one last look and went back to discussing how to tell if a wizard has performed a dark curse.

Doe also had trouble focusing all day. The substances she was supposed to be identifying were all incorrectly matched and she had to endure a lecture from Auror Raindell, detailing the consequences of ingesting poisons without the proper antidotes.

And in Concealment, She had accidently given herself a duck bill instead of changing her mouth shape and it had to be fixed by Auror Greenboil, resulting in Sirius calling her 'Duckas" for the rest of the day.

By the time it was time to leave for the day, she was more than ready to get out of there.

Doe left quickly, Sirius was already gone. He had been anxious to go home and start setting up.

Doe told Remus she'd be over around 7:30. She had been so busy with classes lately that she hadn't had time to grocery shop, and all she had in her kitchen was several bottles of firewhiskey and a half-empty jug of pumpkin juice.

Doe apparated into the alley of the London street where the market was. She always loved going into the muggle markets.

Lily ordered most of their food from the shops in Diagon Alley, but Doe loved going to the muggle markets. There was something comforting about it.

She walked into the shop and grabbed a few of things they were running low on. As she grabbed a small box of tissues she saw someone she never expected to see walk into the aisle.

Severus had walked into the aisle and reached for a package of napkins.

It was strange to see him like this. He was wearing muggle clothes and carrying a grocery basket. She realized then that she had never seen him out of his robes, or outside of Hogwarts for that matter.

" Severus?" Doe called softly.

He looked up quickly, almost on edge. She saw his hand move instinctively to his wand in his pocket.

His expression changed quickly when he saw her.

" Dorcas" he said evenly.

She sighed, so we were back to formal. The last conversation they had was a fight but Doe had hoped they could be adults and move past it.

" How have you been?" she asked.

Severus raised an eyebrow, a permanently angry look on his face.

" Funny, I don't recall us being friends, Meadowes" he snapped.

Doe sighed, " I was being polite, _Snape_ ".

Severus narrowed his eyes, " Still spending time with your werewolf boyfriend who tried to kill you? and the best friend who sent you there?" he said his voice full of disgust.

" Better than spending time with people like Malfoy" she snapped, " you know he threatened that the same thing that happened to my dad would happen to me? Excellent company you keep"

Severus rolled his eyes, " He has specific beliefs, and they just don't happen to agree with yours"

" Yeah, evil ones" she snapped.

" Why don't you go back to your pathetic shallow Gryffindor friends" Severus said coldly.

" Why don't you go find your foul, spineless elitist Slytherin clan" Doe practically spat, pushing past him.

He grabbed her forearm stopping her and looked at her with a look of pure hatred,

" You know, I would watch out if I were you, there are powerful people who are itching to rid the world of people like you" he said venomously.

Doe pulled her arm from his grip, " You sound just like the rest of them" she snapped angrily and walked away from him quickly, abandoning her basket in the isle and leaving the market quickly.

She waited until the street was empty and apparated to her apartment quickly.

Lily was sitting in one of the large armchairs reading the prophet.

" There you are, I was wondering where you had gotten too" she said.

" Oh I went to the market, but...they didn't have what I was looking for" she said quickly.

She didn't want to tell Lily about what had just transpired with Severus, it would just anger her.

" You know the weirdest thing happened at work today," Lily said, " Marlene stopped by my office and told me she thought she saw Mary in Diagon Alley"

Doe turned around quickly, " Did she?" she asked.

Lily shook her head, " No, she just looked like her".

Doe felt herself sadden instantly, She missed Mary dreadfully. Especially now. Marlene had been so busy with her healer training that Doe hadn't seen her since she started at St. Mungos. She spent most of her time with Emmeline Vance now.

If Mary was here she probably would have forced them to all stay close. Right now, Lily and Sirius were her closest friends.

" I miss her" Doe said softly.

Lily nodded, " I do too, sometimes there are things I hear and I know she would just love them"

A thought occurred to her.

" Do you think she's why Peter doesn't want to date?" I asked Lily.

Lily's face contorted while she thought, " I dunno. He did like her, but don't you think he would have gotten over it"

" Would you have if it were James?" Doe asked her.

She shook her head, " But that's different, just like you and Remus. Were together, Peter and Mary never went out"

Doe shrugged, " Sometimes that doesn't matter, look at how obsessed James was with you before you finally agreed to go out with him"

Lily smiled, " I tortured him didn't I?"

" Lils, you were ruthless" Doe told her.

She laughed and a small smile stayed on her face.

Lily and Doe left later than they had intended and the party was already in full swing when they got there, Sirius had assembled about fifty people in his apartment. Music was blaring and everyone was drinking and dancing.

" There you are" Remus said when she finally arrived, " I was worried about you"

Doe wrapped an arm around him, " I'm here now, I was just avoiding the insanity I knew would be here"

Remus laughed, " I don't know how James and Sirius do it"

" Five years of practice" Doe told him.

They watched all of Sirius' guests enjoy the party, drinking and dancing wildly around the lavish apartment.

James and Sirius had both gotten very drunk and were walking around the party chatting happily with people, having conversations that they likely wouldn't remember in the morning.

Meanwhile, Doe had told Remus all about what had happened when she ran into Severus in the grocery store.

" What?" Doe asked, reading the concerned look on his face.

" Well Doe, it's just with all that talk about 'ridding the world of people like you' it sounds like he's supporting You-Know-Who" Remus said rationally.

It was a stretch. She knew Severus had a tendency to be more Slytherin than he let on, but joining forces with a dark tyrannical wizard? It didn't seem possible.

" I don't think so, Remus," she said, " I mean this is Severus we're talking about, he was probably just being a slimy little git"

Remus laughed, " Well that is definitely true"

She shook her head, " I can't believe we were ever friends"

" Me either" he admitted.

" Okay, no more Slytherin talk" she promised.

Remus smiled, " You know, the last time the Marauder's had a Halloween party, I asked you out"

She smiled widely remembering the hazy memory from fifth year.

" Do you realize we've been together for three years?" she said in amazement.

For some reason it had just occurred to her that they had been together for that long.

" Best three years of my life" Remus said happily.

She hugged him around the waist and buried her face in his shoulder.

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

" Best of mine, too" she told him honestly.

Remus smiled softly and kissed the top of her head, " Come on let's go keep Sirius from trashing the apartment"


	55. 55 Not So November

13

Not So November:

The party had gone on until very late and most of everyone had cleared out around two in the morning. Doe helped Remus and Peter clean up most of the mess, seeing as James and Sirius were passed out drunk, and ended up staying the night.

She woke up the next morning against Remus' chest. He was still sleeping, his eyes closed and a small smile on his lips. She tried to shift slightly so she didn't wake him up, but he started to stir and pulled her closer to him.

" Don't get up yet" he said sleepily.

" Good Morning" she said kissing him quickly. His eyes were still closed but he smiled widely.

" Morning" he said as his eyes opened, " how is my beautiful girlfriend of three years"

She smiled remembering their conversation last night, " She's good, what about you?"

" Great, I slept brilliantly. I always do when I'm with you"

" I do too" Doe told him letting her hands run over his shoulders.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead leaning over her slightly.

Remus' door burst open and Sirius stood in the doorway " MOONY ARE YOU AS HUNGOVER AS-"

Sirius stopped when he saw them, a large grin on his face.

Doe yanked Remus' blanket up to her chin.

Remus leaned back against his pillows, slightly embarrassed.

" Well look at what we've got here, resident good boy and girl of Hogwarts caught in an indecent moment" Sirius said with a grin.

" Get out" Doe said grabbing a pillow off of the bed and throwing it at him.

Sirius caught it and tossed it back.

" I'll leave you two to it" he said closing the door with a wink.

Doe rolled over to look at Remus.

He started to chuckle. She frowned at him.

" You've got to admit it was a little funny" he said quietly.

" That is what I get for staying over at your bachelor pad" She said shaking my head and pulling off the t-shirt she had borrowed from Remus the night before, and putting on her clothes from yesterday.

Remus dressed quickly too.

" Well," he said coming towards her and cupping her face, " I'm glad you stayed, It would've been boring without you here"

She rolled her eyes, " At least Lily has the decency to knock"

Remus chuckled, " Sirius is one of your best friends, he doesn't care. In fact he probably finds the whole thing humorous"

" That's what I'm afraid of," Doe told Remus as they left his room, " I'm sure he has an arsenal of jokes from which to embarrass me"

James, Sirius, and Peter were all sitting on the couches of the living room, looking much better than they had the night before.

" Oh, you two finished already?" Sirius asked grinning.

Doe ground her teeth together, " I'm not in the mood, Sirius"

Sirius laughed, " Honestly, it's comforting, with how long it took you guys to finally do it to begin with"

" Stop talking about my personal life" Doe said crossing her arms.

Remus laughed lightly, " Don't cross her Padfoot, she can be vicious"

Sirius smiled, " Oh trust me, I know. She's a scary little thing"

" Don't you forget it" she told him.

" Doe, can you tell Lily I'll be over later, I just have to drop something off at the ministry" James asked.

Doe nodded, " Yeah I'll tell her"

She turned to Remus, " I'll see you" she said leaning up to kiss him and then she apparated home.

" Focus, Meadowes, How what would be the first thing you did if you discovered a home with the dark mark above it?" Moody asked her a few days later in Stealth & Tracking.

She looked up at him, she had read this a few hours earlier from the massive amount of pages he had had them read over the weekend.

" Well first I would make sure to have my wand drawn, and check to make sure there were no lingering death eaters before I entered the home" she told him.

" Correct" Moody said, " Now Longbottom, what would the correct spell be to secure the area?"

Ever since the recent murder of the ministry employees, their classes had become much more focused on death eaters and Voldemort more than the general 'dark witches and wizards' that they had focused on before.

They spent countless hours reviewing protocol for how to handle situations where they would encounter death eaters and several dueling sessions looking for the easiest ways to capture them rather than kill them.

In fact, their classes had become so intense that she rarely had a free moment. Every second she wasn't in class, she was either reading from the massive textbooks or studying to make sure she knew all the information that the aurors had taught them the day before.

Lily often scolded her for 'overworking' herself. She brought her textbooks with her everywhere and she spent far too much time immersed in them.

Even Sirius, who hated to study, found himself with several hours of studying every night.

It was as if their teachers had decided to speed up the program. They now had to work twice, and sometimes three times as hard as they thought would.

Doe came home every day mentally drained from all the studying and physically exhausted from all the dueling.

Dueling was the only place where she didn't have to concentrate as hard. She had an inclination for it. As exhausting as it was, whenever she was doing it, she was completely focused. It was one of her favorite parts of auror study so far.

They were in Dueling one day when Moody had decided to take the class time to discuss the recent events and how it looked like a war might be in the future.

" You know, it's not like this in America" Sarah whispered to Doe.

Sarah had gone to the Salem School in America, and was always giving us information about what the wizarding world was like there.

" Does Voldemort have a presence there?" Doe asked her.

She flinched as Doe said the name and then shook her head firmly, " I had never heard of You-Know-Who until I moved here, actually my roommate Mary told me about him once, I think that was why she moved"

" Mary Macdonald?" Doe asked Sarah quickly.

" Yes, actually. Did you know her?" Sarah asked.

" She was one of my best friends when she lived here" Doe told her earnestly.

Sarah smiled, " What a small world"

Part of her missed Mary even more after hearing about her, but another part of her was happy for her.

She was able to live a life untouched by the tragedy that was occurring here. Doe just hoped she was happy.

With their classwork and homework load increasing, Sirius and Doe were desperate to do anything that didn't require a textbook or a dueling partner. So when the Daily Prophet announced that the Quidditch World Cup was set to take place here in two weeks they were thrilled. It was exactly what they needed.

" We should all go, we can get a tent, it'll be great!" Sirius said happily at lunch.

" Yes, let's go" James said earnestly.

" I really want too" Doe agreed.

Doe had never gone to a Quidditch World Cup before, her dad wasn't interested in Quidditch and her mom had never condoned it. Sirius told her they were great fun.

" Who's playing this year?" Remus asked.

" It's England V. Romania" Sirius said proudly, pointing to the picture in the prophet.

It was the first time in many years that England had qualified for the Quidditch World Cup, so most everyone they knew wanted to go to support the country.

" Well, then I think I'd like to go too" Remus said.

" Me too" Peter added, as Lily nodded in agreement.

So they settled it. Sirius was going to procure the tickets and Peter was going to get a tent from someone named Perkins who worked in his office.

The excitement of the impending match was the only thing that was getting Doe through the work that was piling up from the program. Every night before the match Doe came home exhausted and fell asleep with her face in her textbooks. She was desperate for the distraction.


	56. 56 The Quidditch World Cup

14

The Quidditch World Cup:

On the morning of the World Cup, there was a loud knocking on their door at five in the morning. Both Lily and Doe had risen from their beds and walked quietly into the living room, unsure of who would be here at such a ridiculous hour.

" I'll get it" Doe whispered to Lily, drawing her wand and wrenching open the door.

Standing in her hallway was James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, all dressed and brandishing England's colors.

" What the hell are you doing here so early?" Doe asked rubbing her eyes from exhaustion.

" We have to leave for the match!" Sirius said eagerly, pushing past her into the apartment.

Everyone followed him and Remus stopped to kiss her head.

" Why so god damn early? The match isn't until eight at night " Lily said crankily.

" We have to get there early," James said urgently, " we can't all get there early imagine what the muggles would think, seeing all those wizards"

Lily groaned loudly. She had been working late the night before.

" You two go get dressed, we'll wait" James said sitting down on the couch.

After some slight grumbling and complaining, Lily and Doe went to go get ready.

It was frigid outside so she opted for a long sleeved t-shirt and her jacket.

She walked out of my room just as Lily walked out of hers.

" There you are," Peter said incredulously.

" You two take so long" Sirius added.

Doe eyed him darkly, thinking it was far too early in the day to kill him.

" Where even is this?" Lily asked sleepily.

She leaned against the chair where James sat, looking positively exhausted.

" It's in the large Arena in Sussex, come on let's apparate" James said.

Slowly, they all apparated to the large Arena where it was being held.

The arena was massive, it could easily hold 100,000 wizards, and because of this it was placed in a massive grassy plain buried behind miles of woods, where no muggles would come across it easily.

They had apparated in the front of the woods, so they began walking through the dimly lit foliage towards the arena.

" I am far too tired for this" she told Remus as she stepped over the large fallen tree trunk.

" It'll be worth it, I promise" Remus said taking her hand in an effort to better lead her through the thick woods.

" This is going to be such a good game, I really hope England wins" Peter chatted happily as they walked.

" I don't know if they will" Sirius said, " Romania has one of the best teams I have ever seen"

" Yes, but England has Ludo" James commented.

" I completely forgot about that" Doe said.

Ludo Bagman was going to be playing in this match. He had been scouted for the England team when one of their chasers broke their neck in their last game. It would be exciting to see someone they knew at school playing in front of thousands of people.

" I can't even imagine how scary that would be" Lily said as she dodged a stray branch.

" I would love it, " James said smiling brightly.

" Of course you would" Lily said with a slight roll of her eyes.

They walked for what seemed like an hour and a half before the woods started to thin and eventually the grassy plains outside of the arena appeared and several thousand feet away they could see the towering arena in the distance.

The grounds were covered in thousands of tents, many of them brandishing the color of their chosen teams. The red, white and blue tents easily separated from the red, blue and yellow ones.

It was the most amount of wizards Doe had ever seen all together in one place.

The whole place was covered with wizards. Everywhere you turned you saw robes, wands, and broomsticks.

Doe dodged a small toddler who was running around the grounds with a full sized broomstick in his hand, being chased by his mother.

The tent Peter had borrowed was set up in the middle, somewhere in between a cluster of other's.

From the outside it resembled a regular one person tent but on the inside it resembled a six bedroom house. It was truly fascinating magic.

They didn't spend that much time in the tent. It was much more fun outside of it. Wizards were everywhere and every time you blinked someone was performing magic.

Vendors had also set up kiosks on every corner, selling everything from recording binoculars to bought a England rosette for both her and Remus, and pinned Remus' on his shirt.

Every so often it would shout ' Down with Romania!' much to Remus' delight.

They ran into lots of people we knew, at one point a very intoxicated Emmeline Vance had come over thrown her arms around Sirius neck and very sloppily wished them a good time and her hope that we would be victorious.

By lunchtime, hey were all so fascinated by all the sights, they ended up just sitting outside of the tent watching.

Lily had been in a much better mood since she perked up and listened intently to James and Sirius go on and on about the strategy England would have to use to beat Romania.

" They're very entertaining when they do that" Remus commented watching James and Sirius get into a slightly heated conversation about the quality of Romania's seeker.

Doe smiled, " The only thing the marauders like better than the marauders is Quidditch" she told him.

" Specific marauders" he added.

" Sorry, specific Marauders" she said placing a kiss on his forehead.

Remus' stomach growled slightly and he frowned.

" You hungry?" she asked.

" A little" he admitted.

She stood up and held out her hand for him to follow, "Come on, let's go find something to eat"

Remus stood too following her lead.

" We're going to go find something to eat, do you guys want anything?" Doe asked everyone else.

" Yes, definitely" Sirius said quickly.

Everyone else was in agreement so Remus and Doe walked off looking for a vendor selling food.  
Doe watched her sneakers kick the small piles of dirt in the grassy plain.

" You know, this is actually quite an event" Remus said as they walked, looking at the assortment of wizards and vendors that surrounded us.

" It really is," she said and tripped over the edge of the tent in front of her that she hadn't seen. She tumbled forward.

Remus caught her by the forearm and stopped her from falling on her face.

" God, if Moody had seen that I would have failed Stealth & Tracking" Doe said slightly embarrassed.

" You were falling for me" Remus said with a wide grin on his face.

Doe nudged him in the stomach, laughing at the cheesy nature of his joke.

" You're _so_ funny, Lupin" she said with a smile.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and spun around slightly, a large grin on his face, " I do try".

They found a vendor selling sandwiches and butterbeer and bought enough for their group, and turned to head back.

" Doe?" a woman asked beside her.

Andromeda Tonks was standing at the vendor, holding the hand of a little girl with bubblegum pink hair, who couldn't have been more than 2 years old.

" Andy, hi" she said hugging her quickly, " how are you?"

" Im great" she said smiling brightly, " this is my daughter Nymphadora" she said gesturing to the little girl next to her.

" Mommy, don't call me Nymphadora!" the little girl said crossing her arms.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, " How are you?"

" Im great, I can't believe you have a daughter, it seems like yesterday was your wedding" Doe said in shock.

" I know, time flies, huh?" Andromeda said.

She turned to Remus, " Hi, I'm Andromeda"

" Your Sirius Cousin" Remus said realizing who she was, " I'm Remus Lupin"

" Sirius friend, " Andromeda remembered.

" And my boyfriend" Doe told her.

Andromeda smiled, " So maybe one day I'll be going to your wedding, Doe".

Doe laughed, " I hope it would be even half as beautiful as yours was"

" Mommy, can we go find daddy? I want a flag" the little girls said pulling on the end of Andromeda's shirt.

" Yes, we can" Andromeda said to her, " It was really nice seeing you two" she called to them and followed after Nymphadora who had started to walk away.

" She was nice" Remus when she disappeared.

" She really is" Doe told him, " I used to see her all the time when we were little. Whenever she came to visit Sirius"

Remus brows furrowed for a moment, " She looks an awful lot like Bellatrix"

It was true. Doe had never really thought about it before because they were so different, but Andromeda's features were very similar to her sister. They both had the same heavily lidded eyes, fair complexions, and sharp cheekbones. If Andy's hair had been curly like Bellatrix's they would be almost identical.

" She's nothing like her though" Doe told him, " Andy is the only truly good Slytherin I've ever met"

" She was a pureblood who went against her family and married someone of muggle decent" Remus noticed, " Kind of like your dad".

" Yeah, she kind of is" she said smiling slightly.

They walked back to where everyone else was and gave them the food.

" Sirius, did you know Andromeda had a baby? We just ran into her" Doe asked him when they sat down.

" Yeah, my niece Dora" Sirius said, " cute isn't she?"

" Very" Doe agreed.

" Look there's Otto," James said pointing to where Otto Bagman was standing with Caradoc Dearborn.

Doe watched as he and Sirius walked over and started talking to him about Ludo and England's chances.

" What is about boys and Quidditch?" Lily asked.

Doe shrugged, " Who knows, Lil."

The rest of the day passed quickly. They were all extremely excited for the match to begin. At about seven, they decided to walk to the arena and climb the flights of stairs to their seats.

They walked past the entrance to the arena and stopped short. Huddled together by the entrance was a group of former Slytherins.

Bellatrix, Narcissa, Rodolphus, Rabastan, Rosier, Mulciber, Elizabeth, Malfoy, Yaxley, and Snape were clustered together talking earnestly.

" Well bloody great" Sirius hissed under his breath.

They all stopped talking when they saw them.

" Oh look, if it isn't the group of people I hate most" Elizabeth said with a cold smile.

Sirius narrowed his eyes angrily, and James, Peter, and Remus all tightened mentally preparing themselves for an encounter.

" And the most self-centered group of people I've ever met, looking right back at us" James snapped.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, " It's easy to be self-centered when you have something to be proud of"

" Like you would know?" Sirius asked.

Bellatrix smirked, " I'm surprised to see you walking around Sirius, I would've thought Mummy Dearest would have hit you again, for disgracing our name like you did"

Sirius' jaw tightened as he took in her comment.

" Oh come off it Bellatrix, your just mad because your parents don't love you either" Doe snapped at her.

" At least I've got parents who I can be proud of, Meadowes. That's more than you and your tainted muggle blood can say" she snapped at her.

" I don't know Bellatrix," Rabastan purred, " They're something so interesting about Meadowes don't you think. Like a pet" He winked and flashed a wide smile at her.

Remus shifted angrily next to me, " Come off it Lestrange" he snapped.

Rabastan grinned at purred at Doe.

" Would you stop Rabastan?" Bellatrix hissed at him, " we don't associate with that kind"

" The good kind?" Lily asked angrily.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes on her, " And what would you know about the good kind, you filthy little mudblood?"

Lily stepped back like she had been slapped.

Doe saw Snape's face flicker a quick emotion before going back to his usual cold expression.

James drew his wand. So did Rodolphus.

" You Potter's are all so arrogant" Malfoy snapped from beside Narcissa.

" Come on, let's just go" Remus said, " this isn't worth it"

James didn't move, both he and Sirius had murderous glances on their faces.

" James, come on" Lily said grabbing his arm leading him away, while Doe pushed Sirius away from them.

They led them away from the group of Slytherins and up the flights of stairs towards their seats.

" I want to kill them all" James said angrily climbing the stairs.

" They're terrible" Peter added.

" I want to rip Bellatrix's throat out" Sirius agreed.

" I wouldn't mind watching Rabastan suffer" Remus said darkly.

" They're not worth it" Lily said quickly, " they're just not"

" Lily's right" I said as we found their seats, " they've always been evil".

Doe sat in between Lily and Remus. The entire arena was crowded with wizards and light from all of the wands. The pitch was empty, but from every side you could see the large posters that adorned every side.

" BETS TAKE YOUR BETS! WILL IT BE ENGLAND OR ROMANIA? BETS HERE!" A wizard said walking up and down the rows.

Remus sat silently next to Doe, his expression slightly tense.

" Are you alright?" she asked him.

" I hate Rabastan Lestrange" he said quickly.

Doe squeezed his hand. " Forget him, " she told him, " he's not worth ruining your night"

Remus took a deep breath and then grabbed her face, pulling her towards him and snogging her.

She hadn't expected that, but she responded enthusiastically. Remus never kissed her like that in public.

" What was that for?" Doe asked happily when they broke apart.

" I love you," Remus said softly, " that's why"

Doe smiled, " You _know_ I love you".

The crowd around them burst into loud cheers and they looked up to see a lighted Union Jack Flag in the sky and the England players burst through it, causing little lighted balls to fly into the crowd.

The England side of the arena screamed loudly cheering on the team as sped around the arena, doing tricks on their brooms. Doe saw Ludo Bagman fly by waving happily. His face was plastered on many posters all around the arena.

Their entrance was interrupted as Romania flew into the arena, met with cheers from the opposite side. They players were covered in Red and Yellow and flew around the arena with lightening speed, on their new '69 Shooting Stars.

The minister of magic stood up in the minister's box and looked at the crowd, smiling happily.

He lifted his wand to his mouth and voice amplified all over the stadium.

" WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WITCHES AND WIZARDS TO THE 407th QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP"

Everyone on both sides of the arena burst into loud cheers. The noise was almost deafening.

The minister waited for it to quiet down and then spoke again,

" SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"

He flashed his wand forward and the game began.

Watching the Quidditch World Cup was nothing like watching a game at Hogwarts.

Doe had even seen Puddlemore United play, but even this was different. They players were very good. They flew by so quickly and scored that you had trouble keeping track of who was who.

If it wasn't for the loud commenting that was going on, Doe wouldn't have been able to follow along.

James and Sirius were leaning forward watching the entire game carefully, cheering at the appropriate times and screaming when something interesting happened.

It was quite the spectacle to watch.

Both teams were very good, so the entire game was very close. Doe had never seen a quidditch match before were both team scored so much.

They were almost three hours in, when something finally changed. Antoin Antonecsu, the Romanian seeker darted quickly from his position above the game and tore after something. The English seeker Gregory Wallanbee chased after him, catching up to him. Both of their hands reached for something shiny that was invisible to the audience.

For a moment, it was dead silent.

Then Wallanbee raise his hand and started to yell.

Clasped in his hands, was the Golden Snitch.

Everyone around them began to yell loudly.

Sirius and James pulled each other into a hug and Peter began to cheer loudly. Some people were in tears and the Minister was beaming.

" WE WON" a wizard said behind Doe, his hands slamming down on her shoulders. The entire England side of the arena was blissfully happy.

The bet wizard from earlier walked around handing out the winners gold.

" THIS DESERVES A CELEBRATION" Sirius said happily.

" I think there's some firewhiskey in the tent" Peter said quickly.

" Than let's go!" James said happily.

They followed the crowd out of the arena and headed towards the tent.

" It was such a good game, did you see that tricky move by Antonescu? Brilliant!" James said as they approached the line of tents.

" Very interesting" Lily agreed.

A large congregation of wizards moved around them. Every british wizard present was thrilled and celebrating loudly.

Cheering, singing and boisterous noises could be heard all over the grounds. No one knew how to celebrate quite like the british.

They all sat down outside of our tent enjoying watching everyone celebrate the win. Sirius, James and Peter had taken out the bottle out of the tent and were indulging in a celebratory drink.

" I knew England could do it" Peter said boldly.

" All hail Ludo!" James said happily.

Doe opened her mouth to speak but stopped abruptly. Over the cheering and celebration, loud screaming could be heard.

Doe walked out past the small crowd near them.

A group of cloaked, masked wizards were walking together shooting stunning spells and throwing fire from their wands.

Doe recognized them instantly as Death Eaters.

They seemed to be targeting specific witches and wizards. Muggleborns.

" We need to go, NOW" Doe said quickly running back to her friends.

They were already on their feet. As the Death Eaters got closer, witches and wizards were fleeing quickly, causing a stampede.

Soon everything became an unrecognizable scene of terror and fire.

Spells were flying everywhere and wands were drawn, but it was hard to tell whether they were coming from the group of Death Eaters of the ministry officials trying to combat them.

Doe kept getting pushed and pulled away from everyone else, getting lost in the massive group. She felt my hand slip from Remus' as a group of old wizards flew past.

" DOE" she heard him call loudly but she couldn't see him. More wizards kept running past, making it hard to see anything.

" Meadowes!" A gruff voice said as someone pushed past her. It was Moody.

He was heading towards the crowd of approaching Death Eaters.

" I need you Meadowes, I don't where any of my bloody aurors are" he snapped.

Her wand was already drawn, but she didn't know what to do.

" But I'm just a student" she said quickly.

" Time to prove yourself" Moody said angrily, gesturing for her to follow him.

Doe didn't see any of her friends anywhere, so she took a deep breath and followed Moody heading towards the group of Death Eaters.

She had to be crazy. She had only been training for a few months.

She didn't have near enough skills to battle death eaters.

But something told her that disobeying Moody and running away wasn't very becoming of an auror.

She followed Moody, wand drawn and began shooting stunning spells at the masked Wizards.

The sight of them alone almost brought her to her knees. Their masks were metal and it made them unidentifiable. She shot silent spells at them, watching them narrowly miss her flashes of blue light.

Moody stood next to her, shooting spells with ease but also missing them.

Ministry wizards came up behind them and also began shooting spells.

One of the Death Eaters set fire to the ground between them and in a quick moment, that flames reached so high that none of them could see anything in front of them.

" BLOODY HELL" the senior auror next to her said angrily.

When the extinguished the flames they found that the Death Eaters had disapparated. Leaving only hundreds of tiny fires and a giant sparkling Dark Mark in the sky.

Moody growled angrily.

Doe's chest was rising and falling as she tried to take in what had just happened.

" You alright, Meadowes?" Moody asked behind her.

She turned to him quickly and tried nodding reassuringly, but she knew she must still look terrified.

" That was pretty impressive" he said," you've been paying attention when I say constant vigilance"

" You haven't given me much of a choice" she said slightly exasperated.

Moody shook his head with a chuckle, a gesture that was obviously meant to be lighthearted but appeared angry due to his intimidating exterior.

" Well you certainly did, I'll be sure to remember this Meadowes" he said honestly.

" DOE!" Sirius said running up from the dwindling crowd of fleeing wizards. Remus followed closely behind him.

" Where were you? I got so worried" Remus said pulling her into a tight hug.

" Sorry, Moody needed my help" Doe said quickly.

Remus' eyes darted quickly from her to Moody, " You don't mean..,you didn't _duel_ them did you?"

" She did" Moody said roughly, " put up a damn good fight too"

Doe gave Moody a small smile.

" And I missed it?" Sirius said incredulously, " I would've loved to be there"

" Constant Vigilance, Black!" Moody said, " you shouldn't want to fight them. That's how you die"

Sirius sighed at the reprimand, obviously not happy Moody was chastising him outside of the ministry.

" Now, get out of here, you lot. The ministry was some things to deal with" Moody said pointing back to the woods and towards the exit where they could apparate.

They left quickly, not wanting to stay any longer than necessary.

" You had me insanely worried" Remus said, " and with good reason, you could've died"

" But I didn't" she pointed out.

Remus sighed and rolled his eyes.

" Come on, Moony. Doe's a little badass, let her enjoy it" Sirius said clamping his hand down on her shoulder.

She smiled at him. She hadn't wanted to do it, but Sirius as a fellow auror trainee knew that regardless of the danger she had to do it.

Remus wrapped an arm around her, " Well let's get out of here before you decide to battle You-Know-Who yourself"


	57. 57 Moody's Mood

15

Moody's Mood:

The incident at the Quidditch World Cup only served to put Moody in a foul mood. Like most of the other Aurors and ministry officials, the incident had worried him, but his method of coping seemed to be overworking them.

He did seem slightly more cordial to Doe, and even Sirius. She figured it probably had something to with the fact that she had fought with him. As scary as it had been, it was fascinating to see Moody in action.

His dueling skills were superb and it wasn't hard to see how he had become such a successful auror.

He had a retainment rate of capturing dark wizards that doubled any other successful auror's.

They spent their entire next few Dueling class periods practicing defensive dueling tactics.

It meant long hours of grueling practice and having to endure several gulps of foul-tasting potions when you had been stunned.

Dueling was easiest to see who was proficient and who had more to learn. Sirius happened to be exceptionally good at it. He had very good aim, and an uncanny ability to sense when his opponent would strike.

Doe was much more careful, trying to make sure that every spell she shot had as much force behind it as possible.

Doe had been shooting a spell at Igor, the large auror Durmstrang auror in front of her when she didn't notice Piers shoot a spell at her until she was hit with the violet beam of light.

She had expected to be stunned but instead she felt a large gash open on the side of her face across her cheekbone.

Her hand flew to it and she noticed her fingers covered in blood. She stopped dueling instantly trying to remember one of the healing spells that Madam Pompfrey had told her about in her second year, but failing.

" Hold on, Meadowes. I'll get it" Moody said walking over with his wand drawn. He pointed his wand to the spot on her face and said " _Vulnera!_ ".

The wound closed itself but then reopened. Moody furrowed his brow looking at her face in shock.

" Anapora!" he tried. The wound sealed and reopened again.

" What spell did you use?" Moody asked Piers angrily grabbing him by the color of his auror robes, " or were you not aware you were supposed to be stunning and disarming only?"

" It was something I made up Sir, I just wanted to try it. I didn't know it would do that" Piers said apologetically but he added a smile when Moody turned his back to him.

" Black, go with her to St. Mungos, see if they can stitch it up quickly. I don't want blood all over the training floor" Moody said tactlessly.

Sirius walked over to her and they left the room, hearing the dueling resume as we left.

" That doesn't look very pleasant" Sirius said eyeing it as they walked out.

" It doesn't feel so great either" she said letting the tips of her fingers run over the wound. It was still bleeding.

They apparated out of the Ministry and next to the storefront of .

" You know I could have handled this myself" she said as they walked through the front door, " Moody didn't have to send you"

Sirius pressed the button for the elevator and they got in as it brought them down to the ground floor.

" I'm not complaining, it got me out of dueling that Durmstrang moron" Sirius said when the doors opened.

" You mean Karkaroff?" Doe asked.

Sirius nodded, " He's a bloody idiot, that one"

" How may I help you?" The cheery witch at the front desk asked.

She was very happy looking and sat next to a large sign detailing the different floors.

She looked at the wound on the side of her face.

" Floor Four, spell damage, Ask for Healer Bones" she said pointing to the elevator bank to their right.

They went inside it and they clicked the button for the fourth floor.

The elevator yanked to the side and then upward. An unusually happy song played until the doors opened on the fourth floor.

There was again another desk and a witch sat there scribbling away with a quill.

" I was sent here to ask for Healer Bones" Doe told her.

" Ew, it's still bleeding" Sirius said from beside her, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek.

" Please don't touch it" Doe said to him, moving his hand away from her face.

" He'll be right in, please wait in room 4" the witch said pointing to a little room off to the side.

Sirius and Doe walked towards it. It was a small room with two chairs. Sirius and Doe both took a seat and waited for Healer Bones.

" You know, I reckon Piers will get a very long lecture from Moody about this" Sirius said propping his legs up on this side of her chair.

" Well he wasn't supposed to use anything besides the stunning spell" Doe said, " he broke one of Moody's rules"

Sirius nodded, " It's a bit creepy don't you think? That he 'made up' some scary spell and thought to try it on a fellow auror, and it can't be easily cured?" he asked.

She stopped for a second thinking about what he was saying.

" You don't think he's a…" Doe started.

Sirius nodded, " I mean he could be. You never know"

Doe bit her lip, " I don't know. We already can't trust so many people. I wouldn't want to start accusing just anyone"

Sirius shrugged, " I would just tread lightly around him"

The door opened and Healer Bones strode in. If she hadn't already heard the last name Bones, she still would have know he and Amelia were siblings. They had the exact same widespread smile.

" Hi, I'm Healer Bones, and you are?" he asked.

" Im Doe Meadowes" she said extending out her hand.

He shook it and looked closely at her injury, " and how did you get this?" he asked.

" Someone shot a spell at me in auror training" Doe told him.

" Auror training?" Healer Bones asked, " and Mad-eye couldn't heal it himself?"

" It resists healing spells" Sirius added, " Moody tried the regular ones and couldn't get it to stay"

Healer Bones took his wand out and tried a few simple healing spells on her injury, and just like Moody before none of them seemed to hold.

" Well I know this will work but it's going to be slightly painful" Healer Bones said with a small frown.

" Just go ahead, I don't mind a little pain" Doe told him earnestly.

Healer Bones pointed his wand at the injury. " _Rapido Senarse_!"

She felt the wound heal instantly, but it did tug rather uncomfortably at her skin. Healer Bones handed her a wet towel so she could wipe the blood off her face, and then handed her a bandage to put over the injury.

" Now as long as you don't touch it for awhile, it should be fine" Healer Bones told her confidently.

" Thank you, Healer Bones, I appreciate your help" Doe told him.

He shook his head, " That's what I'm here for, give Moody my best"

They left the hospital room and headed back towards the elevator.

" Healers have such a strange job" Sirius commented, " I can't imagine being one"

" It's important work, though. We wouldn't be able to go on without them" Doe said.

Sirius shrugged, and fixed the edge of her bandage that was coming up slightly.

" Sirius? Doe?" a blonde walking down the hallway stopped. It took her a second to realize it was Marlene. Her characteristic long blonde hair had been chopped off and now it hung loosely on her shoulders.

Doe had forgotten she would be here. She was studying to be a healer, of course she would.

" Hi Marlene" she said hugging her.

" Mckinnon, your hair" Sirius said in disbelief, voicing what she had been thinking.

Marlene ran her hands through it, " I figured it was time for a change"

" I like it" Doe told her.

She smiled, " Aw thanks, Doe. What are you guys doing here anyway?" she asked.

Doe pointed to the bandage on her cheek, "Casualties of auror training"

She laughed, " Well at least you are doing what you've always wanted."

She stopped checking the watch on her wrist, " Listen I'd love to stay and chat but my Magical Maladies course starts in five minutes and I can't be late. It was good seeing you though"

She waved goodbye quickly and then trotted off down one of the long white hallways.

" Well she's changed" Sirius said blinking quickly.

" Yeah," Doe agreed, " she seems more together now".

" And less fun" Sirius said with a slight pout, " Kill me if that ever happens to me"

" The infamous Sirius Black no longer fun?" I asked in faux horror, " not possible"

Sirius rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around my shoulder, " Be quiet, Meadowes or I'll tell Piers to reopen your wound"

I shoved him in the side and followed him into the elevator.

" I want to see!" Lily said loudly in James living room.

" Why?" James asked curiously.

Lily crossed her arms, " If I could turn into an animal, you wouldn't be curious?"

James grinned, " You could turn into a cabbage and I would be interested"

" I am going to vomit" Sirius said from the large armchair, rolling his eyes dramatically.

They were sitting in the Marauder's living room and somehow the conversation had turned to the unregistered anamagi in the room, and Lily was desperately trying to get James to transform into his stag phase.

" It's not really fun when there's no reason to do it" James said with a shrug.

" It's not fun when there is a reason" Remus pointed out.

" Well not fun for you, Moony." Sirius corrected.

" You know, your nicknames really are obvious you know," Doe told them, " I mean you call Remus Moony,"

" You were the only one to figure it out, and it took you three years" Sirius said.

" But if I figured it out, Other people might have too" Doe said.

Sirius shrugged, " Well know one ever said anything"

" If anyone figured it out, it was probably a Ravenclaw" Lily said, " besides that no one would invest the thought into it"

" Xenophilius might have" James said, " but he's such a loon, no one would believe him"

Sirius snickered.

" You know what would have sucked about being a Ravenclaw?" Peter asked.

" What?" Sirius asked him, obviously placating him.

" Imagine coming back to your common room after getting tossed and having to answer a riddle to get into your common room" Peter said.

Sirius made a face, " Think about all the poor Ravenclaws we locked out of their rooms with our Marauder parties" he said with a laugh.

James burst into loud laughter, " dumbing down the Ravenclaws one drink at a time"

Peter laughed loudly at James joke, and Lily just shook her head.

" The Ravenclaws were probably too smart to get tossed though" Remus pointed out, " they wouldn't want to get locked out"

" Always the rational one, Moony" James said with a slight headshake.

There was a knock at their door.

" Five Galleons says it's the landlord complaining about the noise again" Sirius said with a roll of his eyes.

Peter was closest to the door so he got up to answer it.

At the door was a ministry official. Doe recognized him as one of the Hit Wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

He had used to attend the Department parties with her dad.

" Good Evening," he said to Peter, " I am looking for James Potter"

" I'm James" James said getting up to his feet.

" I'm Bob Ogden, I work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Can I come in?" Bob asked.

James opened the door further, allowing him to walk in. James lifted his wand and the empty butterbeer bottles on the coffee table vanished.

" What is this regarding?" James asked when he and the wizard sat down on the couch.

The wizard sighed, " I am sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but your parents were found murdered this evening"

It got very silent very fast.

Doe watched the color drain from both Sirius and James faces. Neither one of them spoke.

James took a deep breath and a tear ran down his cheek.

" How?" he asked quietly, another tear running down his face. Lily ran to him, hugging him tightly.

" We suspect it was the work of You-Know-Who's supporters, there was a Dark Mark found above the home"

James tried to stop the tears that were flowing from his face, but he couldn't do it fast enough and eventually gave up letting himself cry.

Bob Ogden got to his feet, " I'm very sorry for your loss, I'll leave and give you some privacy"

He disapparated quickly, leaving quite the emotional scene behind him.

Mr. & Mrs. Potter's funeral was several days later in the wizarding cemetery near their home. They had all attended and sat stoically beside James and Sirius, both of whom were racked with sadness.

It was awful. Mr & Mrs. Potter had been such kindhearted people, and they had loved James so wholly.

Doe thought back to the last time she had seen them. It had been graduation. It was horrible to think that she would never see them again. It had been a hard funeral to get through. Mainly because of James.

Apart from the one time he had been mad at Sirius in seventh year, Doe had never seen him so upset. He was usually the fun optimistic one. Seeing him so sad killed her.

Lily didn't know how to deal with it either. She clung to him the whole time, letting him cry against her and stroking him comfortingly.

Remus and Doe sat off to the side, but Sirius was on the other side of her. She knew he was more upset than people would think. Mr. & Mrs. Potter had taken him in and had become something of surrogate parents for him. She knew they were the closest thing to parents he had ever had.

During the service, Doe saw Sirius mouth tremble slightly like he was about to cry but he fought it.

Doe grabbed his hand to comfort him. A small smile flashed across his mouth for a second before it fell again, but he squeezed her hand to let me know he was okay. He held it for the rest of the funeral, squeezing it when he looked like he might cry. He was far too tough for that.

After it was over, James and Lily decided to stay to talk to some of the ministry officials and sort out some of the legal business. Peter was going to help them.

Remus and Doe were going to go back to her apartment. They tried to get Sirius to come with them, or to go with him, but he insisted he would 'rather be alone'.

" I'm worried about him, Rem" Doe told Remus as they walked away from the crowd leaving the cemetery.

" Don't" Remus told her, " It's Sirius, he just doesn't like for anyone to see him in pain"

She sighed, " That's so stupid, I wish he would just let us be there for him"

" That's Sirius, though" Remus pointed out, " he's complicated".

Remus took her hand and apparated to her apartment. It was quiet, seeing as Lily was gone and they were all alone.

" I'm going to go put on some tea" Remus said, " Do you want some?"

She nodded eagerly, "Strong please"

" Your wish is my command" Remus said kissing her cheek and disappearing into the kitchen.

Doe walked over to the couch and sat down, looking out their window at the large gray expanse of London.

Remus came out of the kitchen a moment later and sat down beside her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, " What's wrong?"

She leaned back against him, " It's just all this death" she said shaking her head, " it's going to get worse before it gets better".

" Well, that is true of most wars, but we will be okay" Remus said, " nothing is going to happen to any of us" he said squeezing her shoulders.

She pulled myself closer to him, burying herself in his chest, " I just don't want anything to happen to anyone I care about".

Remus ran his hands over her head, stroking her hair, " Nothing will, Doe. We are all going to be fine"

" How do you know?" she asked.

He squeezed me tighter, " I just do, okay? Don't worry so much. You're going to stress yourself out about things you can't control."

" You're right" she told him with a sigh.

" I don't know if you're interested, but seeing as it's coming up quickly, I was going to go to my parent's for Christmas and they told me to invite you" Remus said.

" You're parents invited me?" she asked curiously.

Remus nodded, " They adore you, and they figured we would want to spend Christmas together, but if you don't want to you don't have too"

" I want too" she told him earnestly.

Before today, she hadn't even thought of what she was going to do about Christmas. She couldn't go home anymore, and she had always spent Christmas' at Hogwarts.

Remus smiled, " They'll be thrilled".

" I'm just glad I get to spend it with you" she told him.

He smiled slightly, and pulled her closer to him.

It was a strange parallel. She felt momentarily upset for allowing herself to be happy when both James and Sirius were so upset, but had to remind herself that happiness needed to be found in dark times, to avoid being consumed by darkness.


	58. 58 Christmas With the Lupins

16

Christmas with the Lupins:

As expected, the weeks began to fly by and before any of them knew it Christmas was days away.

Lily and James were planning on spending Christmas with Lily's parents and Peter was going home to his family. Sirius was staying at his apartment. Both James and Doe had invited him to come with them, but he didn't want too, claiming he would rather spend it at the Lively Portkey, celebrating the holiday as one should, with alcohol.

On their last day of classes before their Winter Holiday, Sirius and Doe sat in Concealment and Disguise trying to completely change their facial structure for Auror Greenboil.

" You're being stupid" Doe told him shaking her head.

" No, I'm not" Sirius said sternly pointing his wand to his face and changing his chin into a much more defined one.

" Just come with me and Remus for Christmas" she told him, pointing her own wand to her eyes, which grew several sizes larger.

" Doe, just stop" Sirius said shaking his head.

" Sirius, I don't want you spending Christmas alone" She said exasperated.

" I won't be alone" Sirius said with a smile, " I will be spending it with Kathy and Amber at the lively portkey"

" Something tell me I don't want to ask who they are" she said shaking her head in disapproval.

Sirius face widened into a smile, " Probably not"

" But you should be spending the holiday with your friends!" Doe told him.

Sirius grabbed either side of her face and held it in front of him, " Doe, I will be fine. Stop worrying and enjoy your holiday with your boyfriend and his parents"

Doe bit her lip, " You know I am still going to worry, regardless"

Sirius sighed, " You are annoyingly concerned"

" I am your best friend" she reminded him, " It's my job"

" James manages to be less annoying than you" Sirius pointed out.

She crossed her arms, " Well I'm a girl, so thats what you get. Get over it"

Sirius laughed, " This is what I get for spending time with a girl I'm not sleeping with"

" You need me" Doe told him, " I keep you grounded"

" Is that so?" Sirius asked, a smile plastered on his face.

" Black, you are still recognizable. I expect more changes" Auror Greenboil said walking past the table we were sitting at.

" Maybe I don't want to change my face" Sirius whispered irritably, " I like it just fine the way it is"

" Here," Doe said pointing her wand at him and elongating his face.

" You're still coming tonight right?" Sirius asked.

Doe nodded quickly, " Of course".

The six of them decided that because they wouldn't spending Christmas day together that they would all exchange gifts tonight at the Lively Portkey.

" Your present is pretty excellent if I do say so myself" Sirius said proudly.

" It better be my foe glass that you stole" Doe told him.

Sirius grinned, " There's no way I am giving that, it's far too cool"

Doe rolled her eyes at him.

" You're present is pretty good too" She told him, she had goteen him tickets to a Puddlemore United V. Wilbourne Wasps Quidditch match in June. It was a very anticipated games seeing as the two teams were longterm rival, and it took forever to get them.

They spent the rest of the day working extremely hard. Their classes had gotten much more difficult seeing as the need for aurors was getting greater.

They spent their entire Dueling class learning about the proper way to use and administer unforgivable curses. Moody even made them try all three out on spiders. It made Doe slightly sick.

She didn't like the Killing Curse, and using it even on a spider, it felt very wrong.

When it was finally time to leave, she gathered her massive stack of books and headed for the door.

" Have a good Holiday, Moody" she called from the doorframe.

" You too Meadowes" he called back gruffly, " Constant Vigilance!"

She nodded and ducked out of the room. The Ministry was clearing out quickly, she walked into the atrium and apparated out of there, landing in front of her apartment.

She went inside and found James and Lily curled up on the couch.

" Oh, Hi Doe. How was class?" Lily asked, shifting from her previous position on James' lap.

" Long and exhausting" She said dropping the books on the table in front of her, " I almost poisoned myself in Poisons & Antidotes"

" They seem to give you guys a lot of work" James said noticing the tall stack of books in front of her.

" I don't think it was always this bad" she said sitting down, " I just think that things have gotten so bad lately they're trying to speed it up a little"

" Well hopefully soon, you will be catching all of these Dark Wizards and you won't have to worry about it anymore" James said.

" Hopefully" she agreed and walked into her room.

Lily and James were sitting at the table in her kitchen having a late breakfast on Christmas morning. They were planning on leaving for Lily's parents in a little while. Lily didn't want to leave until she absolutely had too, in an effort to spend as little time with Petunia as possible.

Doe had gotten dressed in one of the few dresses she had and was walking around the flat barefoot, not wanting to put her shoes on until the last minute.

Someone knocked on the door and she opened it to find Remus. He looked smart. He was wearing a jacket and a tie. She smiled brightly at him, thoroughly enjoying seeing him dressed up.

" You look nice" she said kissing him quickly and closing the door.

" You look gorgeous as always" he said, his hand on her waist.

" Hello James, Lily" Remus said.

" Happy Christmas Moony!" James said brightly.

" Yes, Happy Christmas" Lily said.

" Let me just grab my shoes and the gifts and we can go" Doe told Remus and hurried back to her room to slip on her heels and grab the bag of presents.

Remus was waiting for her, leaning against the counter.

She took his hand and said goodbye quickly to Lily and James and apparated to his parents house.

They landed at the end of the street and they walked together down the oak tree lined streets to where his house was.

" So how many people are going to be here?" Doe asked Remus while they walked towards the door.

" Quite a few" Remus said, " There's my mother's sister and brother Cicilia and Lazarus and their families and then my father's parents Blythe and Erasmus, and his brother Robert and his wife Penelope"

Doe tried to remember the family tree so that she didn't make a fool of herself once she got in there.

They walked up to the door and knocked. Remus clasped her hand. She was grateful, it calmed her.

The door opened and Carol answered it wearing an apron. She smiled brightly when she saw them.

" DENNIS THEY'RE HERE!" she shouted happily pulling them into a hug.

" Hello Mum" Remus said with a wide smile.

" It's nice to see you, Carol" Doe smiled.

She opened the door wide, " Come on in, you two".

She ushered them into the house and it smelled wonderful, like meat pies and fruit cakes.

The whole house was decorated lavishly with Wizard christmas decorations, complete with an enchanted Snowman in the corner.

There were several family members strewn across the room.

Doe noticed Remus' father sitting next to an older couple, who had to be his parents.

Remus led her over to his father.

" Hello, dad" Remus said pulling his dad into a tight hug.

" It's good to see you, Son" His father said patting his back, " and you as well, Doe" he said pulling her in for a hug.

" Come" Remus said eagerly, " Meet my grandparents"

Remus walked over and sat her down next to him on the couch opposite his grandparents.

" Grams, Gramps, this is Doe Meadowes, my girlfriend" Remus said introducing them.

" Lovely to meet you, I'm Blythe" Remus' grandmother introduced herself.

" And I'm Erasmus" his grandfather said.

" Carol and Dennis told me you two have been together for quite a long time now" Blythe said adjusting the string of pearls around her neck.

Remus smiled, " About three years"

" That's lovely," Blythe said with a smile, " I do admire young people who can stay committed to one person, so many of you are unable to do that"

" Well it's easy when you're with someone as great as Remus" Doe said smiling at him. He wrapped his arm around her.

" Well I am so happy you were able to join us" Erasmus said with a smile.

" Yes of course" Blythe agreed, " What about your family, what are they doing?"

Doe took a deep breath, somehow she was caught off guard by the question. Remus sensed it.

" My father passed away the year before last" Doe told Blythe, " and my mother and I aren't very close"

" Oh, My dear. I am so sorry, If I had known I wouldn't have asked" Blythe said quickly.

Doe smiled at her and shook my head, " Don't worry, I am completely okay with it" I looked at Remus, " besides I am spending it with family anyway".

Blythe smiled, " Well I must say, you two make a lovely couple"

Doe spent the rest of the day being introduced to various family members. Remus' aunt Cilcilia had just had a baby not to long ago and the little boy sat in his high chair smiling at everything.

There were also two eight year old twin witches who belonged to his Uncle Lazarus.

Almost of all Remus' family was either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. The only Gryffindor was Erasmus.

Doe found it fascinating how the families houses were so split.

It ended up being lovely. Doe had never before experienced a Christmas surrounded with a family. Even when her father had been alive, it had always just been the three of them.

When they all sat down to dinner, Remus and Doe became the sole topic of conversation, much to the dismay of the two of them.

" So you're both working in the ministry then?" his grandmother asked.

Remus nodded, " I'm working for the Department of Magical Cooperation and Doe is training to be an auror"

" An auror? How interesting" his Uncle Lazarus said, " you two are quite the power couple."

Remus and Doe looked up from their dinner to smile at each other.

" And you both manage to keep a successful relationship despite his condition?" Remus' Uncle Robert asked in a very harsh tone.

Remus' expression changed to embarrassment very quickly and he looked down at the table.

" Yes, why wouldn't we be?" Doe asked his uncle quivocably.

" Well it just seems like it would be a source of discord is all" his uncle said, " it can be quite inconvenient I imagine, having him gone once a month"

Remus' face burned scarlet as he grew infinitely more embarrassed.

" Not really" Doe said to his uncle, " It's no different than anything else"

Remus smiled at her quickly.

" Well, good for you, Remus." his uncle said with a condescending smile, " you seem to have found the one woman who is able to put up with your condition"

" So" Carol said changing the subject quickly, " Remus tell me more about your apartment"

The rest of the night passed quickly. It was a nice Christmas. Doe really enjoyed meeting most of Remus' family. Except for his Uncle Robert. He was sort of pompous.

They stayed there until very late. It was almost midnight when they finally left.

" I had a really nice time" she told Remus while they walked to the end of the road to apparate.

" I'm glad' Remus said, " My family seemed to really love you"

She took Remus' hand and apparated into her bedroom.

Lily and James were staying the night at Lily's parents so the entire flat was empty.

Doe pulled Remus towards her and began kissing him. When they broke apart she looked at him.

" Stay here tonight, okay? I don't want you to leave" Doe told him.

Remus smiled, " There's nothing I would like more"


	59. 59 Ministry Woes

17

Ministry Woes:

They were interrupted in their Stealth & Tracking class one day to be informed that the Death Eaters had struck again. And this time it was the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department who had been murdered. When Moody was informed them, his expression changed to something strange quickly and he left the room to discuss it further with the auror who had come in to tell him.

" He's worried" Sirius said seriously, " It's the third Ministry death this month"

Doe sighed. The growing number of deaths was alarming. It seemed as though Voldemort and his supporters were trying to make a point.

" You know they got a group of muggles last week? Murdered them all" Frank said solemnly.

" That's disgusting" Doe said shaking her head.

The entire platform of the Death Eater's was disgusting.

" You know, I wonder what You-Know-Who looks like?" Igor added, " no one seems to know"

" Not pretty, I'm sure" Sarah added, " otherwise he probably wouldn't be so mean"

" You're such a girl, Sarah" Piers said with a roll of his eyes.

Sarah narrowed her eyes angrily at him, " Oh and you have some great insight do you, Piers?" she snapped.

Piers smiled, " I just think he probably has a better reason behind his actions than his looks"

Sarah rolled her eyes and turned away from him pointedly.

" What about you Black?" Piers said turning to Sirius, " the whole lot of your family are Pureblood Slytherins, you _must_ see where he is coming from, seeing as you were raised that way?"

Sirius stiffened, his jaw setting together, " I wouldn't know what my family's opinion is, I don't associate with them" he said formally.

Piers grinned coldly, " I asked how _you_ felt about it".

Sirius narrowed his eyes at him, obviously annoyed at his intrusion.

" No in this room agrees with the ideals of Voldemort, Piers" Doe said. Everyone flinched slightly at her casual use of the You-Know-Who's name, " But you do seem rather interested, find him curious do you?"

Piers pursed his lips, " I do not speak the Dark Lord's name, but you do, funny that's quite brave of you"

" Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself" Frank said quickly.

Piers turned to him, " Only the foolish use his name"

The door opened again and Moody reappeared looking slightly grim.

" Alright back to reviewing, " he said quickly, " who can tell me the proper way to identify if a wizard has just cast a spell?"

Classes trudged on like usual. The workload had increased so much so that they had almost gotten through their entire textbooks. All of the auror student's felt overworked and exhausted. The amount of workload had gotten ridiculous. In addition to the massive amount asked of them at work, which they now were not leaving until seven some nights, they also had several hours of reading and practicing every night. Sirius and Doe had tried our best to study everything but it always seemed like there was something they didn't have time to finish.

So when Moody announced to all nine of them that they would be meeting in the training room the following day, they assumed it had something to do with the workload they had recently taken on.

Moody stood in front of the wall, eyeing them all curiously.

" I have a bit of an announcement for all of you" he said roughly, " In light of the growing number of casualties that have already occurred, Minister Bagnold, had officially decided to declare it a war"

There were several gasps around the room. It was something that everyone had been dreading. The definition attached to it made it seem even more real.

" And because of this" Moody said loudly over everyone's surprise, " the minister and I have decided that the need for aurors is at an all time high. So in order to fill our growing need, we have decided to end your study as of now and promote you all to junior aurors"

" Already?" Igor demanded, " but we hardly know anything!"

Moody eyed him angrily, " This is what is being asked of you, Karkaroff. If you can't handle it you know where the door is"

Karkaroff eyed Moody back, looking extremely angry, " I am not going to die because you guys are worried".

Igor got to his feet, " This is not worth it" he said and he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Moody continued talking as if Karkaroff had not just quit, " So you will all begin performing tasks for the Department. You'll be sent to your own cubicle, and you will report to me everyday."

There was a new sort of excitement brewing among the remaining eight of them. They hadn't expected to be working this early. They had had barely six months of study, and they thought they would have three years.

A new thought occurred to Doe. If six months of training was sufficient, then You-Know-Who must have become an extremely large threat.

" Part of being an auror is making sure you are completely and entirely devoted to the job" Moody said sternly, " and one of the ways we ensure this is by having you choose a partner"

He looked at them with a stern gaze, " Choosing a partner is one of the most important things you will do as aurors. They will work closely with you, and you must be able to trust and depend on them."

Moody cracked his knuckles, " So don't choose anyone you don't trust with your bloody life, as for those of you who don't know each other very well" he paused, " I suggest you get to know each other"

He dismissed them after that, telling them that they would be reporting to the office at nine the next morning to begin working.

" I can't believe we're going to be actual aurors" Sirius said shaking his head, " that's crazy"

" You were right about the war" Doe told him, " I can't believe it's starting"

Sirius frowned, " This is one thing I'd rather not be right about"

They walked out of the ministry and into the street. Seeing as it was still early, it was entirely empty.

" Im starving" Sirius commented, " Let's go get something to eat."

" How about the Leaky Cauldron?" Doe suggested.

Sirius nodded and they apparated. Landing in the small pub.

" Sit anywhere guys" Tom called from behind the bar.

Doe followed Sirius and sat down at one of the smaller tables in the corner. The pub was filled with a strange assortment of people.

There were mostly odd witches and wizards sitting around. In the far corner, a group of Goblins sat discussing something in very hushed tones. and closest to them sat a pair of older witches gossiping under their breath.

" So we have to choose partners now" Sirius said, " I didn't know we did that".

Doe nodded, " It's to ensure you have someone to trust".

" So Meadowes" Sirius said wiggling his eyebrows, " wanna be my partner?"

Doe shrugged playfully, " I don't know, I was thinking Piers and I would get along so much better" I joked.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her, obviously unamused.

" Yes, Sirius. I'll be your partner" Doe corrected herself.

" Save the joking for the marauders, would you?" Sirius said with a laugh.

Doe rolled her eyes, " What a nice way to treat your new partner"

Sirius only grinned, " If I haven't irritated you enough to stop spending time with me yet, Beautiful, It's not going to happen"

Doe rolled her eyes at him and watched as Tom came over to take their order.

Turns out choosing partners ended up being quite the stressful affair for the rest of their fellow aurors. Sirius and Doe were excluded from this group. Doe had never been happier that they had both decided to become the same thing. Doe completely trusted Sirius, and she knew it would make working with him easy.

She couldn't imagine trying to work with someone you hardly knew.

Moody had shown them where they would now be working. They had been each given a cubicle on the main floor with the aurors. Sirius and Doe had one's flanking each other. And so far all Moody had had them do was things like file, and read through handbooks and procedures.

It wasn't terribly exciting yet.

When Sirius and Doe informed Moody they had decided to be partners, he didn't look surprised.

" Friends either make the best partners or the worst" he told me sternly, " I hope for your lives' sake that it's the first"

He turned to both of them, getting more excited now, " I don't care if you two are bloody best friends outside of this office. When you are in it, you watch each other's backs. Do I make myself clear? And Black, that means her back and not her arse. You two both have the potential to be great aurors, and I do not want anything to stand in the way of that, got it?"

Sirius and Doe had nodded and Moody left for his office.

Sirius and Doe returned to desks and began working on the filing tasks that Moody had left for them. They were more like Interns than anything else.

" This is bloody boring" Sirius said slipping a piece of parchment into the correct folder.

" I'm sure it will get more interesting eventually" Doe told him.

However the thought didn't occur to her, that interesting may mean dangerous.


	60. 60 The Letter

17

The Letter:

" Did you see it!?" Sirius asked walking into her cubicle, a crumpled copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand. He looked positively furious.

It was early. Not very many people were into the office yet.

" The prophet?" Doe asked.

He nodded. She shook her head.

" I left before it got delivered, why?" she asked.

Sirius handed her the copy of the prophet. She unfolded it and read the headline.

 _Minister Declares War_

The byline was Rita Skeeter. She didn't know she had started writing for the prophet.

" Whats so bad about this?" Doe asked.

" Just read it" Sirius said, sitting down on the corner of her desk.

Doe opened the paper and began to read.

As of yesterday evening, Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold had officially declared War against the vigilante radical known as You-Know-Who, or Lord Voldemort to those brave enough to speak the name. You-Know-Who has recently rose to power supporting the idea that magic should only be practiced by 'true wizards', believing that muggle-born witches and wizards should not be allowed to practice magic. The Dark Lord, and his faithful supporters, Death Eaters, have been responsible for the murders of several ministry officials, muggleborn wizards, muggles and several pureblood families who have spoken out against them, including prominent wizarding families such as the Potters and the Izens.

The rising death toll has forced the MInister to finally take action, and declare war against these individuals. Though the identities of You-Know-Who's supporters are not wholly known it is suspected that the majority of his support comes from Pureblood Predominantly Slytherin families. Many of these families, including the Black's, have spoken out recently claiming to support the ideals of You-Know-Who. One wonders whether the minister will be taking action to identify whether the individuals belonging to these families are involved in any of the recent deaths.

Doe looked up at Sirius. His jaw was set and he looked extremely furious.

" That makes me sound like a bloody Death Eater!" he said angrily.

Doe crumpled the paper and threw it in the wastebasket.

" Sirius, no one who knows you would think even momentarily that you supported You-Know-Who" she told him earnestly.

" My family is mentioned by name, Doe" he said, " I come from one of those Pureblood Slytherin families"

" But you were in Gryffindor" she told him, " everyone knows you are different from your family, I mean you're an auror!"

Sirius leaned back against the wall of my cubicle, scowling slightly, " People aren't going to trust me"

" Anyone who is worth a damn will trust you" she told him, " you don't seriously think something written by Rita Skeeter will sway anyone do you?"

Sirius frowned, " Well, no.. it's just-"

She cut him off, " Sirius Black, the manifestation of Gryffindor House, would never support anything like this, and everyone knows it"

Sirius grinned madly, " The manifestation of Gryffindor House, am I? he asked wiggling his eyebrows.

" Do not let that get to your head, it's big enough as it is" She told him shaking her head.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " You sure know how to make me feel better, Meadowes"

" Stop moping," Doe told him, " and start filing those papers for Moody"

Sirius smiled, " I think the manifestation of Gryffindor House should be doing something more brave and courageous, don't you think?"

" Don't make me regret saying that" Doe yelled at him as he walked away.

" Whatever you say, Meadowes" he called back.

Today was long. Moody had us very busy all day with odd jobs. We spent hours filing and organizing folders. He had assigned Sirius and Doe the task of timelining the tragedies that were suspected by Death Eaters. It was a much more interesting job than any of the other junior aurors had received and some of them were seething with jealousy. Piers looked as though he wanted to rip their throats out, while he magically shredded the box of papers Moody had given him.

Meanwhile, Sirius and Doe were sitting on the floor of his cubicle, surrounded by Daily Prophet articles on the deaths and reports that had been filled out by aurors. It was one of the first major jobs they had in the Department and they were determined to do it right.

" Can you hand me the article on the murder of the Fairviews?" Sirius asked. Doe reached over and handed him the article and the report.

He was trying to track down the first death that they had been responsible for. They had managed a basic outline but now they were trying to make sure it was very thorough.

Doe flipped through a few of them and stopped when she got to one that almost hurt to look at.

Auberon Meadowes, Head of Magical Law Enforcement Department, Murdered January

She stopped, stroking the photo of her father. He looked exactly as she remembered.

" That's a good picture of him" Sirius said noticing what she was holding.

She nodded and continued to look at the picture. Attached to it was a copy of both the prophet article and the report on his death. It didn't contain anything she hadn't already seen.

" Can you believe it's been two years?" She asked Sirius.

Sirius shook his head, " Doesn't feel like it, but then again, so much has changed since then"

" It really has" she said placing her father's death amongst the others in the timeline.

" He'd be proud of what you're doing" Sirius said softly.

" I think he'd of rather I had wanted to become a healer" she said with a slight smile on her face.

Sirius shook his head, " Nah, I think he knew this was meant for you"

" Let's not talk about it anymore" she said placing another casualty in the timeline.

Sirius flashed her a look of concern before going back to placing the deaths in order.

They spent the entire day working on the timeline. It really reaffirmed how much damage Voldemort and his supporters had caused over the last few years. The amount of deaths was alarming, and looking at all of the faces of the dead turned it into quite a morbid day. But having their first task as an auror was quite exciting.

Doe came home that day, feeling mentally drained. The faces of Voldemort's victims were permanently burned into her mind. Their faces molding together.

" There you are" Lily said. She was sitting in a large armchair in the corner reading a copy of the prophet.

" Hey Lily" Doe said sitting down on the couch opposite her.

" I haven't seen much of you lately" Lily said putting down the paper.

" Moody has kept me very busy" she told her, leaning against the couch, " today he had Sirius and I timelining all of Voldemort's deaths"

Lily shuddered slightly and shook her head, " How awful"

Doe shrugged, " We've got to see why he's choosing who he is, so we know who to protect" Doe told her, quoting what Moody had told me earlier in the day.

" I just miss seeing you, I feel like the only time I see you now is mealtimes" Lily said with a pout.

" Aw Lily, I miss you too" Doe told her, " I'm sure once I settle into the job, it'll get easier".

" It better or you won't be able to function" Lily told me.

There was a tapping at their window. A large snowy owl was clicking its beak against it, holding in it's talons two maroon envelopes.

Doe walked over to the window and opened it, letting the Owl fly in and deposit the letters before flying off.

" What is it?" Lily asked.

Doe held up the two envelopes. One was addressed to her and the other to Lily. Doe handed Lily hers and opened her own, reading the card it contained.

Ms. Meadowes,

I am writing to you to invite you to a gathering that I will be hosting. This will be for a very select group of witches and wizards, and as such it is imperative that you do not share this information with anyone. If you could please arrive at the Diffle Manor Friday evening at eight oclock. There is something very important I would like to discuss with you.

Best Wishes,

Albus Dumbledore

Doe turned to Lily to see if it was the same thing she had received, and it was.

" What does he want to discuss with us?" Lily asked.

Doe shook her head, " No idea, but it's Dumbledore, so it must be important right?"

Lily nodded, " Yeah, it must be"

Doe pocketed the card quickly.

" I'm going to go see Remus, Will you be okay here?" Doe asked her.

Lily nodded, " I'll be fine, Doe. Go. Tell him I said hello".

Doe waved goodbye to Lily quickly and apparatted to the outside of the Marauders door, knocking quickly.

Remus and Doe hadn't had very much time to see each other lately. They had both been working far too much and it left little time for anything else. And seeing as tomorrow night was the full moon, she wanted to make sure she got to see him tonight.

Remus opened the door and smiled when he saw her, " There you are!" He implored pulling her inside quickly.

" She's not likely to get murdered be a Death Eater on her way here, Moony" Sirius called from the couch, " It's much more likely at work".

Remus ignored his comment, " Did you get here alright?" he asked.

" Yeah, it was fine" Doe told him.

" Come on, " Remus said, " Let's go to my room"

Doe followed Remus through the living room and into his bedroom.

As soon as the door closed, Doe grabbed and kissed him quickly. She hadn't even realized how much she had missed him.

He held her close to him, mirroring her enthusiasm.

" Work stinks" she said with a pout when she separated, " I haven't seen you outside of the ministry in almost a week"

" I know, " he said stroking her cheek, " I was starting to forget what you looked like" he joked.

She sat down on the edge of his bed and he sat next to her.

Doe noticed the maroon envelope sitting on his desk.

" Did you get the letter from Dumbledore too?" she asked.

Remus nodded, " We all did, it was weird wasn't it?"

Doe nodded, " Very odd, but then again so is Dumbledore"

" I think it's something about the war" Remus said, " The timing makes sense"

" It probably is," she agreed, " It's strange isn't it? That it's a war now, four years ago this was nothing"

" Four years is enough for a lot to change" Remus said, " but what worries me is the rapid support he's gaining"

Doe sighed, " Moody had me catalog the deaths today and there were so many Rem"

Remus frowned, " I fear there will be more, many more"

She leaned back so that she was lying flat on his bed looking up at the ceiling.

Remus laid down next to her and she buried her face against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.

It was the most comforted she had felt in several days. She was always comfortable with Remus. He had an uncanny ability to always make her feel so safe.

" I don't know what I would without you" she told him softly.

" You won't ever have to find out" he assured her.

It began to rain outside and large droplets of water splattered across Remus' window. It rained for the rest of the night.

Doe had fallen asleep in Remus' arms and felt extremely comfortable. After a while, she started to dream. She didn't remember any of it, but she remembered it terrified her.

She woke up in the middle of the night in a panic. Her chest rising and falling in fear. She let from the bed. It took her a few seconds to remember it was all a dream and that she was fine, safe in Remus' room.

All she could remember was a brilliant green light, the light from a killing curse.

" Doe, is everything alright" Remus asked sleepily, his hand reaching over to his nightstand for his wand.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

" It was just a bad dream, go back to bed" she told him.

It was too late. He was already awake. He sat up, leaning against his pillows and motioned for her to come back to bed. She curled up next to him.

" Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked, running his hands over her shoulders in an effort to calm her.

" I don't remember much of it" she told him,catching her breath " just the green light from a killing curse, it was just a nightmare, honestly"

She shivered at the memory of it.

" You're okay," Remus told her, " just try and fall back asleep. I'm right here"

She felt wide awake. The dream had scared her far too much for her to fall asleep easily, but she laid there with Remus. She heard him fall asleep again and listened to the gentle sound of his heartbeat and watched the rise and fall of his chest while he breathed. Just being there next to him made her feel better.

 _It was just a dream_ she reminded herself, even though it had felt extremely real.


	61. 61 The Order of the Phoenix

18

The Order of The Phoenix:

Friday could not come fast enough. Every day until then was filled with more odd jobs. Moody had almost exclusively given Sirius and Doe any jobs that pertained to Death Eaters and it kept them very busy.

Their finished timeline had been magically strung up in the front of the office and the Senior aurors were constantly adding to it.

Besides work, the days preceding Friday were filled with skepticism from the six of them, trying to figure out what Dumbledore's intent was.

" Maybe he wants us to work at Hogwarts or something" Peter has suggested.

" Don't be so thick, Peter" Sirius said, " he knows we would never do that"

" That wouldn't be the worst thing" Remus said softly.

" I doubt that's what he wants us for though" Lily said biting on her lip, " it probably has something to do with the war"

" Hopefully, I'll kill myself if its something boring" James said.

" Boring sometimes is good" Doe told James.

James shrugged, " coming from the auror"

By the time Friday did arrive, they were all extremely ready to find out what the purpose of the gathering was.

Lily and Doe had gone to the Marauders flat right after work and Sirius was grumbling about how he had had to cancel a date, so whatever Dumbledore had wanted better be important.

" Go back to work tomorrow and I'm sure you'll be able to get another one" Remus told Sirius.

Sirius sighed, " Well I know I can, I just don't want too" he said grumpily.

At eight o'clock they all apparatted to Diggle Manor.

Owned by Deadleus Diggle, the house was a large manor in Godric's Hollow, a wizarding neighborhood.

" Look at the size of this house" Lily said in amazement staring up at the large house in awe.

" It's quite large" Remus said looking at the surrounding houses, which were much smaller.

They walked towards the door and a very grim faced Moody opened the door quickly. Sirius and Doe almost stepped back automatically.

" Moody?" Doe asked in surprise.

" What are you doing here?" Sirius asked.

Moody frowned, " And you show up to a house you've never been before, wands not out? Constant Vigilance! What the hell do you think I teach you two this for?"

Sirius and Doe both sighed, not wanting to sustain a lecture after having already left the ministry. Moody opened the door to let them in, mumbling something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'longer hours', but didn't elaborate.

The Diggle Manor was crawling with witches and wizards. There was a long dining room table that looked as if it had been enchanted to fit over thirty witches and wizards, parading as what looked like a conference table.

Doe looked around and noticed many people from work.

In one corner talking earnestly was Edgar Bones and Mundungus Fletcher, a wizard not to much older than them who had gained a notorious reputation for being a thief.

Benjy Fenwick was standing with Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett. Doe noticed Gideon and Fabian were also there standing with the rest of their brothers. All of them, a cluster of redheads.

Marlene was huddled with Caradoc Dearborn and Emmeline Vance, all of them talking very closely about something.

In the very back of the room Doe spotted Professor Dumbledore. He was engaged in a very intent conversation with Hagrid, Deadleus Diggle, and Professor McGonagall.

Most of the Hogwarts Professors seemed to be here, Doe noticed Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were also present as well as Professor Slughorn.

There were several other older witches and wizards that Doe didn't recognize.

" Hey you're all here too?" Frank said walking through the front door, he was flanked by Alice, who looked very wary.

" I think that's all of em Albus" Moody shouted to Dumbledore, closing the door roughly.

" Thank you, Alastor" Dumbledore said calmly.

Dumbledore wandered his way towards the middle of the room.

" Ah my guests, there is something I would like to discuss with all of you, so if you could all take a seat that would be great".

There was a shuffle as everyone took a seat at the long table. Dumbledore sat down on one side flanked by Professor McGonagall and Moody.

Doe sat down beside Remus and Lily.

Dumbledore waited for everyone to get settled and then spoke again.

" I have invited all of you here to Mr. Diggle's home to discuss something of utmost importance, and as such I would like all of your word that whatever is discussed here tonight will not be discussed with anyone other than those who are present here tonight"

He stopped and looked at everyone in the room, as if seeing if there were any complaints.

" I have asked all of you here tonight, because you are all some of the brightest and most loyal witches and wizards of the age, and I feel that I can trust you all with what I am about to discuss. The Minister of Magic has officially declared war against Voldemort, but he is very ill equipped to deal with the repercussions of this action. Lord Voldemort is much stronger and has much more power and influence than the minister is willing to admit. As such, we must exercise other ways of defeating the Dark Lord."

" With the help of Alastor Moody, Deadleus Diggle, and Arabella Figg," Dumbledore said pointing out the individuals to those who did not know them,

" We have decided to create a group whose entire aim will be combating and defeating the Dark Lord and his supporters. This group is The Order of the Phoenix, and I have asked you all here to join"

There was silence for a minute, no one dared to speak.

" So you want us to help you stop You-Know-Who?" asked Caradoc Dearborn.

Dumbledore nodded, " Yes, Mr. Dearborn, that is essentially correct, but I must warn you, all of you, that this will not be easy and it will be very dangerous"

" Why all the secrecy?" James asked.

" Technically speaking" Dumbledore said, " the Ministry considers groups such as this to be vigilantes, and therefore do not support it. By joining, you would be in some ways, going against the Ministry, so if any of you are uncomfortable with that, It will not be held against you in any way, and you are free to leave at any time"

" However" Dumbledore began, " If you choose to stay, and to join, I must warn you it is dangerous and to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix, you must devote yourself to it completely. There is a very good chance that you may come to harm during tasks or assignments for the Order, and will most likely become a target to those we are trying to combat. The secrecy of this group is imperative, and as members I must ask this of you. You cannot under any circumstances discuss or divulge any of the secrets, information, or identities of the members of this Order to anyone. This is essential"

Dumbledore took out his wand and conjured a piece of parchment and a large feather quill.

" If you would like to join, I ask you to please sign this parchment now, but I warn you it is a binding agreement to everything I just attested to, and breaking it will have certain consequences"

" Where do I sign?" Sirius said eagerly.

Dumbledore laughed slightly, " Somehow I assumed you would have this much enthusiasm, Mr. Black"

Sirius took the quill and quickly signed the parchment, passing it down the line.

Doe watched as James, Lily, and Remus all signed it without hesitation. Remus handed it to Doe and she too scribbled her name, passing it over to Peter. Who looked at it apprehensively before scribbling his own name.

After a few minutes everyone at the table had signed it. Dumbledore smiled slightly as it was passed back to him. Obviously not surprised that his carefully chosen guests had not bowed down at the idea of devoting themselves to the cause.

" Now that the formalities have been hammered out, we can discuss the particulars" Dumbledore said.

" We have decided that for the time being, Mr. Diggle's home will serve as Headquarters for the Order. We have certain protections placed upon it that makes it undetectable to our enemies and only available to those whom we choose. We will be having at minimum weekly meetings, sometimes more often when it is needed. As for communication, we have developed a type of spell that allows us to communicate through our patronuses. The enchantment is 'Expecto Patronum Dictus', this allows us to quickly deliver information to our others Order members." Dumbledore stopped, " now I think I will turn this meeting over to Alastor, who will discuss the information we have gathered so far"

Moody looked extremely serious, " Well I'm sure all of you know how dangerous Voldemort is and don't need me to tell you that"

Several people cringed at the use of his name.

Moody resumed, ignoring them " But it is his support that he gains most of his power from, so as of now the best way to stop him is to find his support and destroy it, while also trying to protect the people who could end up being his victims. So start keeping your eyes open"

" Thank you for that Alastor" Dumbledore said calmly, " I do not want to bury you with too much information tonight, but we have another meeting Monday Evening, same time same place. We can discuss this further then. Thank you all for joining me tonight, and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evenings, for I must not return to Hogwarts"

Dumbledore bed a few goodbyes and then left the house.

" Joining an Order? He wants us to fight You-Know-Who?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

" You might as well say Voldemort now," Doe told him, " You have to fight him either way"

" It makes sense" Remus said, " if the ministry isn't taking all the actions they should, someone should be trying to combat him"

" Black, Longbottom, Meadowes, stay behind a minute" Moody called.

" I'll just be a minute, I'll meet you outside" Doe told Remus. He nodded and left the house.

Sirius, Frank, and Doe walked over to Moody, he was standing with Professor McGonagall.

" Hello Professor, good to see you" Doe told her quickly.

" You as well, Ms. Meadowes" she said quietly.

" What this about Moody?" Sirius asked, his curiosity evident.

Moody eyed him, " Seeing as you three are the only aurors that Dumbledore trusts enough to be a part of the Order, much more work will be placed upon you than the others. I want your number one priority to be capturing Death Eaters. We just recently got a hold of some new information. Voldemort apparently brands his followers with the Dark Mark. On their left arm. So keep your eyes out. They're not likely to be putting their arms on display."

" We'll keep our eyes open" Frank said quickly.

Professor McGonagall smiled slightly, " It makes me happy to so many Gryffindors here"

" Minnie, you're killing me" Sirius said wiping his eyes.

McGonagall eyes him darkly, " Black, so help me if you were still at school, I'd give you a detention so fast"

" Miss me already?" Sirius asked with a wide wink.

" Thank you for information, Moody." Doe said over him, " It's very helpful"

Moody nodded, " Now get out of here quickly, before I kill Black for the hell of it"

" Will do" Doe told him, pushing Sirius out of the house.

Frank stayed behind to discuss his trouble finding a partner with Moody.

James, Lily, and Peter were all waiting for them outside of the house.

" All finished?" Remus asked.

Doe nodded, " Just Moody talking about some work stuff" Doe told him with a shake of her head.

They all decided to go back to the Marauders apartment seeing as it wasn't extremely late yet.

They spent the evening sitting in the living room discussing everything they had heard during the meeting.

" Identifying Death Eaters is a big part of the Order" Remus commented.

" Well It's not hard to guess who is one" Doe said, " I bet my wand that Bellatrix and the Lestranges are involved"

" And the Malfoys must be" James added, " If the Lestranges are, they definitely will be"

" Then Yaxley, Mulciber, and Rosier too then?" Peter said, " they wouldn't be left out"

" Then that means Snape is one too" Doe said, " he wouldn't leave himself out"

Lily flashed her a look, suggesting she didn't want to talk about it.

" He probably is" Remus said.

" Snivelly?" Sirius said with an eyebrow raised, "he's not smart enough"

" He was smart, Sirius" Lily said, " We can't deny that"

" Well then maybe he is" Sirius said, " He's exactly the slimy dark kind of git that Voldemort would look for"


	62. 62 The Blood, The Bleak, and The Black

19

The Blood, the Bleak, and the Black:

Joining the Order of the Phoenix was the right thing to do. Doe knew that. It was one of those things, like becoming an auror, that she knew she had to do, but it took an exceptionally large amount of time.

Moody had not only bogged them down with work at the office but he had taken to calling them into his office at lunch to discuss possible Death Eaters.

All of her time was accounted for now. She spent ridiculous hours at the office and then after had Order Meetings and was so exhausted she fell asleep as soon as she got back.

Everyone else was experiencing the same thing she was. The Order had given them yet another to thing to worry about in addition to their jobs. Lily and Remus had accepted that most of their time together was very quick moments during lunch breaks and before Order meetings.

At work. Moody had Sirius and Doe exclusively going through the Death Eaters again. He wanted them to look for patterns and try to predict any other families he might be after. It was hard work. Voldemort must have some sort of plan, some of these deaths could not be random. They just had to figure out the pattern.

One night, Sirius and Doe had stayed so late trying to figure out the connections between two deaths that they were late to the Order meeting.

They apparated to the Diggle Manor and the door opened, revealing Moody's harsh face blocking the door.

" What was the first thing I said to you at your father's funeral?" Moody asked her, testing her.

This was a common practice at Order meetings. Moody, paranoid that they were either under the influence of the Imperius curse or the use of Polyjuice Potion.

" That anyone who believed in a better place was as thick as Goblin blood" she told him.

Satisfied with her answer, Moody turned to Sirius, " And who did you tell me could be involved with Death Eaters?"

" My brother Regulus" Sirius said unwaveringly.

Doe looked to him, this was new to her. Sirius shook his head letting her know he'd talk about it later.

Moody opened the door wider and let them in. The meeting had already started so Sirius and Doe sat down at the end of the table.

Remus smiled warmly at her from the other side, beside James. Doe winked back at him. Remus grinned.

Sirius rolled his eyes at them.

"... so to catch you two up" Dumbledore said, " the Abbotts have recently done an interview urging the wizarding community to speak out about Lord Voldemort and this had made them significant targets to Voldemort. In effort to protect them, we will be standing guards at their home in Hogsmeade when available and we were trying to hammer down two people to patrol on Saturday night, and it seems we are having difficulty finding someone who is free"

Saturday was Valentine's Day. It was also a full moon, which meant Doe wouldn't be able to spend it with Remus anyway.

" Im free, Dumbledore. I can do it" she told him. From across the table, Moody nodded slightly at her. Obviously happy that his auror was taking the initiative.

He eyed Sirius. Sirius noticed.

" I think Moody would like me to do it also" Sirius said noticing Moody's practically murderous gaze.

" As aurors, they're the most skilled at dueling, Albus, it's a good fit" Moody said.

" Okay so Ms. Meadowes and Mr. Black for Saturday night, you'll take over for Arabella and Deadleus, and should any problems occur, Minerva and I will be at Hogwarts and close enough to come"

Sirius and Doe nodded.

Dumbledore continued talking, " Our next order of business is to inform you all that is suspected that the most prominent Slytherin families have almost entirely pledged their allegiance to Lord Voldemort. Meaning that those including the Malfoy's, Lestrange's, Black's, and the Merlin's will have joined, though they will not admit it. They will most likely be keeping a low profile, but they are spotted doing anything even slightly sinister, report it to us"

The meeting continued for a little longer, discussing some suspicious occurrences and details before they finally dismissed it. It was almost ten.

" So you two can come spring us around six on saturday, okay?" Arabella said to Sirius and Doe on their way out.

" Yes, sounds good" Doe told her.

Arabella smiled. She was quite the old witch. Almost as old as Dumbledore but she was one of the most gifted and talented witches I'd ever met. She could easily duel a Death Eater and win.

Doe left the room and found Remus waiting for her. Lily was staying over at James' tonight, so Remus and Doe were taking advantage of the empty flat so he could stay over.

Both work and the Order had kept them so busy that they saw far too little of each other.

" I'm really sorry that we can't do anything on Valentines day" Remus said quickly when they got back to the apartment, " I really wish we could, I do"

" Remus it's fine. I don't mind, we can do something else the next night" she told him.

He frowned slightly, " I feel as though you are constantly making sacrifices for me and my condition"

" This is not a sacrifice" she told him intently, " and I'm not, you're the one who constantly has to put up with my ridiculous work hours"

" But that's your job" Remus said, " you chose that"

" Exactly!" she told him, " I chose it, and yet you still don't blame me. Why would I blame you for something you didn't choose at all?"

Remus' expression softened, " I don't know"

She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, " I love you, Remus Lupin"

He kissed the top of her head, " I love you too, Doe".

Doe smiled mischievously at him and grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her into the bedroom.

The week passed by quickly. They seemed to do that lately. All of her time was spent trying to combat Death Eaters, it would probably be easier to become one. Before she knew it, it was Saturday and she decided that they were running so low on everything that a trip to Diagon Alley was well worth it, seeing as she'd be spending most of her night in Hogsmeade.

The evidence of Valentine's day was everywhere. All of the muggles she passed on the street were carrying large boxes of chocolate of violent looking stuffed animals.

There was only one person she passed, on an empty street that wasn't carrying anything and it took her a minute to realize who it was.

Severus Snape was walking towards her in the street. Both of them had noticed the other but were both too prideful to turn around or apparate.

" Snape" she said curtly as they passed.

" Dorcas" his tone dripping with anger.

" Here to laugh at the inconveniences of muggle life?" she asked arms crossed.

" Here to join them?" he asked venomously.

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. It was mad. Moody was going to kill her.

She reached for Severus' left arm, sliding up the sleeve of his sweater. She hoped it would be bare.

Severus tried to stop her, but it was too late. She had already seen the black Dark Mark outline on his forearm.

Severus was livid. He grabbed her wrist and shoved her against the nearest wall. Wand pointed at her throat.

" You insolent little nosy blood traitor" he snapped at her. She had never heard him so angry. He prodded his wand harder against her throat, and gripped her wrist so hard she thought he was going to break it. She couldn't reach her wand and she was starting to panic. She really hadn't thought this through.

" I ought to kill you" Snape said dangerously low, " But why should I? When I can allow the Dark Lord the pleasure?"

She didn't have time to react. She did the only thing she could remember from the ridiculously long hours of training. She brought my knee up and kicked Severus between his legs. His grip on her wrist faltered momentarily and his wand shifted off her neck. She instantly disapparrated into the atrium of the Ministry.

She could barely breath, but she started to run. Diving into the nearest elevator and pushing the level two button as hard as she could.

She got several looks from the ministry officials in the elevator.

Aurors almost never came in on the weekends, and she wasn't wearing my robes. She looked like she was still in Hogwarts, dressed in her jeans and sneakers.

The elevator opened again and she ran through Level two, almost bumping into several Magical Law Enforcement officers.

She burst into the Aurors Headquarters office and ran through the line of cubicles, ignoring one of the senior aurors who had asked her what she was doing here on a Saturday.

Knowing Moody would be there, she stopped at his office and knocked on the door.

Moody opened the door quickly, wand drawn.

" Meadowes?" Moody asked taking in her strange appearance. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her hair.

" What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Moody asked quickly.

" I need to talk to you," She said trying to catch her breath, her hands on her knees.

" Why isn't Remus Lupin patrolling with you tonight?" Moody asked testing to see if it was really her.

Doe knew Dumbledore had informed key Order members about Remus' condition, to explain his absences and Moody was one of them.

" It's a full moon" Doe said quietly.

Moody opened the door and let her in. He closed it firmly behind him and locked it.

" Alright Meadowes what is it?" Moody asked.

" Severus Snape is a Death Eater" she said firmly.

Moody raised an eyebrow, " And how do you know this?"

She paused, not sure if telling Moody how she had come across this information was a good idea or not.

In the end she told him what had just happened and she wished she hadn't.

" ARE YOU BARKING MAD!?" he roared, " He could've killed you, Voldemort could have. I'm starting to think you have a death wish, Meadowes"

" I don't know what came over me" Doe told him, " But I got the information, didn't I?"

Moody sat down in the chair behind his desk, " You were bloody stupid about it" he said and then sighed, " But any Death Eater Identification is necessary right now"

" I really hoped he wasn't going to be" Doe said to him.

" There are very few people you should be trusting right now" Moody said sternly, " If you are not positive you can, then don't"

Doe nodded, " I've got to go, I have to meet Sirius soon to patrol, but I figured you would want to know"

Moody nodded, " I did. and how much is it going to take for you to remember Constant Vigilance!"

Doe smiled, " Well if this has taught me anything, it's that"

Moody nodded, " You're doing well here, Meadowes. Keep it up and try not get yourself killed"

" Aye Aye captain" She told him and left his office.

She left the ministry in a much less hurried exit than she had when she got there. She caught the elevator just before it closed. But when she saw who was in it, she wanted to leave immediately.

Nestled between Otto Bagman and the Head of the Department of Mysteries was Rabastan Lestrange.

He grinned widely at her.

" Ah, Doe. You look exceptionally lovely without those charming auror robes, don't you?" he said.

She wanted to say something vicious, but there were other people in the elevator. She looked at him and her eyes traveled to the sleeve covering his left arm.

She knew what was under there.

His gaze followed hers. A smile appeared on his face. They both knew what he was. She turned away from him.

There was nothing she could do here. Only the Order knew about the Dark Marks. Exposing him would prove nothing.

" Women love powerful men, Doe" Rabastan whispered in her ear from behind her.

The door of the elevator opened and she practically jumped out of it and into the atrium. Apparating as soon as she could.

She apparated outside of the door to the Marauder's apartment.

It was almost six. Remus and James had already left for the cottage, but Sirius was waiting for her so they could apparate to Hogsmeade together.

When he answered the door, Sirius was clutching something silvery in his hands. James' invisibility cloak.

" You ready, Meadowes?" Sirius asked from the doorway.

" Yeah" Doe told him.

" Alright Wormtail, I'm leaving be back later" Sirius called inside to Peter and shut the door behind him.

Sirius took Doe's arm and apparated. She hated side-along apparition, But Moody liked it because it ensured you arrived with the same person you left with.

They landed on the Main Street of Hogsmeade. In between the Three Broomsticks and Zonkos.

The Abbots had a small house that was off one of Hogsmeades side streets, it was clearly visible from the roof of the Hogs Head pub, which is where they would be patrolling.

They walked through the Hogs Head. It was a very grimy pub. They had never before been in it. She followed Sirius up the stairs and all the way to the top to the roof.

" Arabella, Deadleus? It's Sirius and Doe" Sirius said.

Something rippled in front of them and Arabella took an invisibility cloak off her and Deadleus.

" Thank Merlin, I was getting bored up here" Arabella said walking out back through the door.

" Thank you" Deadleus said to them before disappearing after her.

" Cheery aren't they?" Sirius said sitting wiping snow away from a spot closest to the edge of the building and sitting down.

Doe sat down next to him. And he threw the invisibility cloak over them.

" I had to cancel a date with that cute blonde from the Misuse of Magic Office to be here" Sirius said grumpily.

" Somehow I think combatting Voldemort is more important" Doe said shivering slightly from the cold.

"Yes, but have you seen Sally? You might change your answer then" Sirius said.

" Well, I'm sure she will be more than happy to bed the infamous Sirius Black tomorrow night" she said bitterly.

Sirius eyed her curiously, " What's wrong with you?"

She sighed, " I've got tell you something but you've got to promise me you won't tell Remus, or I'll tell every girl in the ministry about the time in third year when you almost fell off the astronomy tower and cried"

Doe told him about Rabastan Lestrange and the elevator. He listened intently until she finished.

" He seems to like you" Sirius said.

" It's scary" Doe said quickly, " It's the way he looks at me sometimes, like he's waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. And he saw me look at his left arm, and that's why he said the thing about powerful wizards, he knows that I know he's a Death Eater"

Sirius brows furrowed, " Well you can't prove it and he knows it, I spect that's why he's towing with you"

" Well it's irritating as hell" She snapped, " I'm not a pureblood, why is he even bothering"

" It's probably a game to him, try and get the Gryffindor with the dirty blood to want him, despite her blatant objections to everything he stand for" Sirius said.

" Thats twisted, Who does that?" she said shaking her head.

Sirius shrugged, " Hang on, why were you at the ministry today".

Doe bit her lip. She had wanted to leave Severus out of this story. She knew how Sirius was going to react.

Sighing she told him what happened with Severus and what she had told Moody.

" MOODY'S RIGHT, YOU'RE CRAZY" Sirius practically yelled.

She looked down at the Abbotts house, to make sure they hadn't heard Sirius' loud comment.

" I know, it was stupid alright?" she told him.

Sirius made a face, " I don't want to seem immature, but I TOLD YOU SNAPE WAS A NO GOOD DARK EVIL WIZARD"

Doe sighed, " I know, and he almost killed me today so point made"

Sirius shook his head, " How could you be responsible for the death of someone who used to be you're friend?"

" I couldn't" she told him, " I'd die first"

" So would I" Sirius agreed.

And they sat watching the Abbott's house to make sure no harm came upon them.


	63. 63 The Date and The Snip

20

The Date and The Snip:

Moody had decided that the best way for Sirius and Doe to become more accomplished aurors was to have us patrol for the Order as much as possible. So now in addition to increasing work days, and Order meetings, Doe was patrolling every other night. She was exhausted. It had gotten to the point where she almost never saw Remus.

They were always catching each other on their way in or out, or few a few minutes at a time during lunch or dinner.

They finally decided that they needed to take a night off and spend it together. So on Friday night, neither of them signed up to patrol and decided to stay in at her place. James and Lily were both patrolling the Abbotts tonight, so she had spent the entire day trying to desperately to cook Shepherd's pie. Lily had left her explicit instructions and even with magic it took hours.

When Remus got there later that night, he stopped when he smelled the cooking in the kitchen.

" Did you cook?" he asked in surprise.

" Don't sound so surprised" She told him, " I'm not incapable"

Remus grinned, " I was simply shocked is all, you continually surprise me"

She had told him a few days ago about the incident with Snape and ever since he had been very protective, making sure that no harm came towards her.

She served the food and they sat down at the table, eating and drinking Pumpkin juice.

" You know Bathilda Bagshot is writing a new book" she told him, " all about Wand Making, it supposed to be about Gregorovich and Ollivander"

" I'm sure it's going to be fantastic" Remus said, " knowing her she will completely explore the history of it. It'll be fascinating"

" I heard she was going to do one on the sacred twenty eight, but in light of the war with Voldemort she decided to change it" she said.

" I'm surprised she was even going to do one on that at all" Remus said obviously confused, " All of that sacred twenty eight mania is ridiculous"

" Well most of them are Voldemort's supporters, look at the names Malfoy, Lestrange, Yaxley" Doe said.

Remus shook his head, " I don't understand how blood status is an issue, I do not agree with it but at least the divide between Wizards and muggles has standing, one can perform magic and on can't, but what does blood status matter, who cares how much wizard someone is?"

" The ignorant" she told him.

Remus sighed, " How You-Know-Who actually gained support, I will never understand"

" Rabastan Lestrange is a death eater" she told him quietly.

Remus eyes looked up from his plate, " How do you know?"

She told him about what had happened at the ministry the other day, and she had never seen Remus look quite as angry.

" I despise him" Remus said coldly, " he is one of the worst, I wouldn't be surprised if he is in Voldemort's inner circle"

" He's vile" Doe agreed, " and if he is one then so is Roldpolhous which means so is Bellatrix and Narcissa"

" Merlin, I would love to be the one to through Bellatrix in Azkaban" Doe said stabbing a piece of shepherd's pie rather brutally with her fork.

They finished dinner discussing the other possible support Voldemort could be receiving, suggesting that maybe he would seek help from other creatures like trolls and giants.

Doe brought the plates to the kitchen and put them in the sink. With one wave of her wand, the brushes began scrubbing them themselves.

" Doe," Remus said coming into the kitchen. She was leaning against the counter watching the pots drench themselves with soap.

Doe looked up at him and he reached out holding her face. She closed her eyes and let him pull her face towards his.

Her hands found their way up to his neck. The counter was pushing against the small of her back.

She took his hand, breaking apart only long enough to drag him back to the empty bedroom.

" Doe, wake up." A strange voice said, shaking her awake.

She woke up instantly. It hadn't been the voice she was expecting. Her eyes opened and found Sirius on the side of her head.

She pulled the blankets up over her shirt, " Sirius what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Next to me Remus stirred and sat up barely awake, " Doe, wuzz goin on?" he asked through a yawn.

" Oh, I didn't know you were here, Moony" Sirius said with a smile.

Remus realized Sirius was in the room and pulled the blankets over himself, waking up instantly.

" What are you doing here?" Doe asked Sirius.

" I was patrolling, Moody sent me to get you. He said it was important."

Doe looked over at the clock and sighed. It was one in the morning.

" Alright I'll be right there" she told Sirius. Sirius left the room and closed the door behind him. She got up quickly and got dressed. Throwing her auror robes on over her clothes.

" Do you have to go?" Remus asked, still half asleep.

" Go back to sleep, I'll be back soon" Doe said leaning down and kissing him.

She left the room quickly and found Sirius waiting for her.

" What's going on?" Doe asked Sirius as she left the apartment.

Sirius shrugged, " I was in Hogsmeade and Moody showed up and told me to come get you".

They apparated instantly and landed roughly on the roof of the Hogs Head.

" Moody?" Doe called out and an invisibility cloak slipped off of his head.

" Come here, Meadowes" he said quickly. In his hands he held moving photographs. In each one where different arms all printed with the dark mark.

" Are these what you saw on Snape's arm?" Moody asked quickly.

Doe nodded, " Yeah thats it exactly, why?"

Moody pursed his lips, " Dumbledore tried talking to the minister tonight about whether the mark alone was enough to detain someone, but the minister said we can't without proof"

" Maybe just slip a little veritaserum over his drink" Sirius said bitterly.

" Were not resorting to illegal tactics, Black" Moody snapped.

" Isn't the Order illegal?" Sirius asked him.

Moody flashed Sirius a very angry look and then turned back to Doe, " I've got to go back and discuss this with the minister, I need you to patrol with Black"

Doe nodded and Moody handed her the invisibility cloak, disapparating.

She was exhausted. Sirius and Doe sat down watching the Abbott house. She let her head drop on his shoulder, trying desperately not to fall asleep.

" Sorry I had to bother you and Moony, I tried to talk Moody out of it" Sirius said.

She shook her head, " Don't worry about it, we were just sleeping"

She could sense Sirius about to make a joke,

" If you value your sanity, you will keep your mouth closed" she warned him.

He chuckled, " You're such a joy"

Doe laughed, " Sorry, Im tired".

They sat in silence for a few minutes and then she turned to him.

" Sirius, are you happy?"

Sirius looked at her like she had three heads, " Did you hit your head or something, Meadowes?"

" Are you?" Doe asked again.

" Of course I am, aren't you?" Sirius asked.

She nodded, " I am, it's just I don't like this war".

" No one likes war, Doe. But it's a necessary evil" he said looking forward at the Abbotts house.

She sighed, knowing he was right.

Doe had been showing up to work about an hour early every day this week. She had so much patrolling to do at night that she needed the extra time to get as much as she could done at the office. They still hadn't found any connections to the Pureblood and Muggle-born deaths.

Doe was staring at two cases when someone walked by her. Someone she didn't recognize immediately.

" What did you do?" she asked Sirius in disbelief.

Sirius grinned, " Do you like it?"

Sirius' normally shoulder length wavy black hair had all been cut off. It was now short. She stared at him in disbelief.

" Who am I looking at?" she asked, running her hands over his short hair.

Ever since they were six years old, Sirius hair had always been to his shoulders. She stared at him.

Sirius laughed, " It's just hair, Beautiful"

" But it's your hair," She said blinking at him. She couldn't get used to it.

" You look like a different person" She told him.

He smiled, " Still a gorgeous person"

" I see you're still just as modest as ever" She said rolling her eyes at him.

He smiled, " I thought it was time to try it short"

She frowned, " Does that mean Padfoot is less shaggy now?" she asked.

Sirius grinned, " You loved him mangy, didnt you?"

She nodded, " I never had a dog".

Sirius laughed, kicking his legs up onto her desk, " I can always tell the dog people"

" So what spurred this decision to chop of your hair?" she asked him, handing him the report on the murder of Amelia Bones mom.

" Well you know that girl from the lively portkey, the bartender?" Sirius asked.

Doe nodded. Sirius and her frequently slept together, a detail Sirius had shared quite often.

" Well she was over last night and did it for me" he said.

Moody walked by and stopped at their desks, " What's with your hair, Black?" he asked quickly.

Sirius shrugged.

" You know, last out, patrolling all night, and first ones in in the morning, I'm impressed" Moody pointed out, but even the obvious compliment sounded like a criticism in his rough voice.

" Who really needs sleep?" Doe asked him.

Moody smiled slightly, " Dumbledore appreciates it"

" He better" Sirius said darkly.

The rest of the day passed by quickly. They had an Order meeting immediately following work and Doe left the ministry with Remus later that night. Sirius had left early to stop by his apartment.

Remus and Doe apparated and walked to the Diggle Manor. The meetings were getting so frequent sje came here almost as much as her own apartment.

" With the amount of time when spend here talking about You-Know-Who, I feel like I know him" Remus said as they walked up to the door.

" Imagine spending your days pouring over Death Eater's victims" she told him.

" You deserve a medal" Remus said reaching out to open the door.  
Moody wrenched it open before he could,

" Yeah, Yeah.. I'll get her a trophy tomorrow, get inside you two" he said.

Doe chuckled, she was used to Moody's dry humor.

THey followed Moody inside. Almost the entire Order was seated around the table. The meeting hadn't started yet but several side conversations were blossoming up and down the long table.  
"... I know but really Dearborn, Inferi? That seems a bit much, even for him" Arthur Weasley said with a shake of his head.

" No I am being completely serious" Fabian said to Gideon, " She really did it"

Remus and Doe sat down in the empty seats between Marlene and Lily. James wasn't here yet, he was planning on arriving with Sirius.

" Hey you two" Lily said smiling brightly.

" Hey Lily," Doe said to her.

" These meetings are getting longer it seems like, huh?" Lily said with a sigh, " we all haven't done anything fun since"

" I know, we've just been so busy" Doe said sadly, " Moody doesn't give me a free moment"

" You signed up for this Meadowes" Moody said from across the table. It was like he had supersonic hearing.

" Not complaining, just explaining Moody" Doe called back to him.

Moody gave her a quick look before turning back to discuss something with Slughorn.

" Well we should try to do something with all of us," Remus said, " maybe the lively portkey or something"

Lily nodded, " Yes that's what I was thinking"

Remus turned back to her and played absentmindedly with a piece of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail.

The door opened and James and Sirius strode in. They were the last to arrive. It was strange to look at Sirius with his hair like that.

" …..that was legendary Padfoot, monuments should be erected in your honor" James said with a large smile.

Sirius grinned, " It's a skill, Prongs" he said and they both sat down on at the table in the last two remaining seats.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone turned to him, gathering their attention to him.

He smiled, " So our forces have informed me that there is suspicion that Voldemort's supporters have infiltrated the ministry in positions of power, in an effort to give Voldemort inside information on the Ministry. As of now, the existence of the Order of the Phoenix is not known, but when it is, as it is bound to be, I assume you will be approached by supporters of Voldemort or even Voldemort himself, it is important to remember that they are the enemy, and to avoid the suspected Death Eaters"

The fact that Dumbledore was even mentioning it, meant that it was a big enough issue that he felt the need to tell them. A new kind of fear bubbled up inside of her. She would rather die than join Voldemort, and that may be the choice that some of them were faced with.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing Dumbledore's recent conversation with the Minister who refused to search the employees of the Ministry for the Dark Mark under the guise that the Mark was not sufficient evidence of treachery.

When the conversation had finally reached a decision, Order Members were not to search out the Dark Mark on the arms of suspects, it could only be used as a form of identifying possible suspects.

Moody's gaze wandered over to Doe and winked.

She knew it was her rash actions that had sparked the discussion.

" Well seeing as that matter is solved," Dumbledore said significantly more cheerfully, " the final thing I would like to this meeting is gather for a photo"

" A Photo?" Marlene asked.

" Oh no, I look awful" Emmeline Vance commented quickly.

Everyone gathered in a tight group for the Photo, the younger members placed up front. Doe was standing in between Lily and Remus. Her hand placed firmly in Remus' hand. She kept looking over to where Sirius was, unable to get over the new haircut, and pleased that theu would have evidence of the bad idea for years to come.

Dumbledore raised his wand and the flash went off, capturing this moment forever in a photograph.

A picture that 16 years from now, Moody would show to Harry Potter.


	64. 64 The Big Surprise

21

The Big Surprise:

They were eating lunch in the large ministry cafeteria. Moody had finally stopped talking about Death Eaters long enough for them to enjoy a proper lunch.

They had bought very sad-looking sandwiches and sat down at one of the tables in the corner to eat them. Sirius and Doe hadn't been there for five minutes when Remus and Peter arrived, joining the table.

" Hello, love" Remus said kissing the side of her head and taking the seat next to her.

" Hi," Doe said becoming more chipper at his arrival.

Peter sat down too. He looked exhausted, he had huge dark circles under his eyes.

" Tired, Peter?" she asked.

Peter nodded glumly, " I've had a lot of late nights"

" Long hours in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, Is there?" Sirius asked.

" Oh, uh….yeah" Peter said quietly pulling at the sleeve of his sweater.

They were interrupted by Lily and James walking through the door and looking extremely excited. Lily was clutching his hand tightly and dragged him over. She was practically bouncing when she sat down.

" Lily, what's wrong?" Doe asked her.

" James proposed!" She said happily extending her left hand.

Nestled on her ring finger was a diamond ring.

It took Doe a minute to register. James and Lily were getting married.

" Oh my god!" Doe cried happily, pulling Lily into a tight hug, " I am so happy for you"

Lily smiled, " He asked last night, I was so shocked"

" I'm just glad she said yes, " James said with a smile, " I was having Hogwarts flashbacks"

Peter giggled.

" Well congratulations" Remus said happily.

" I knew you had it in you, Prongsie" Sirius said with a smile. He didn't look the least bit shocked.

" Did you know?" Doe asked him.

Sirius nodded, " Of course I did, so did Remus"

" And you didn't tell me?" Doe asked turning to Remus.

Remus smiled sheepishly, " I figured I would let Lily tell you when it happened"

" Damn you, and your considerate nature" she said with a slight pout.

Remus only smiled.

Doe looked back at Lily, " I can't believe you're getting married" she said happily.

Lily smiled, " Well I'm glad you feel that way about it, because you're my maid of honor"

Doe grinned widely, " Really, Lily? Aw, I love you"

" You're my best friend Doe, who else would I choose? Petunia? No way" Lily assured her.

" This is going to be fantastic" Doe said.

She couldn't have been more thrilled. She knew how much Lily and James loved each other, and in the current situation, a wedding would bring the levity they so desperately needed.

" None of you are focusing" Lily said slightly irritated and closed the book she had open in front of her.

" Sorry Lily" Doe said quickly, " I think were all just a little tired"

It was the first Saturday night in what felt like forever that they had not had to work late or had an Order meeting. So the six of them were sitting in the living room of the Marauders' flat trying to enjoy it, while Lily wanted desperately to discuss wedding details.

In fact, Lily had assumed her role of 'bride' quite well, it had caused her to become obsessed with planning the wedding.

Right now, she had a catalog from 'Gladwags WizardWear' open to the bridal section and was desperately trying to get them all to agree on things like Maid of Honor Dresses and Groomsmen Robes.

Lily and James were sitting on the couch closest to the door. Remus and Doe were sitting on the one opposite them. Sirius was sitting in one of the armchairs, his legs thrown casually over the side, and Peter was sitting crosslegged on the floor.

" Lily, choose whatever you want, I'm sure it will be beautiful" James said playing with her hair.

Lily turned to him, " I can't choose everything, it's our wedding. I need your input too!" she implored.

James sighed. And Lily continued pointing to the Groom's Dress robes, until James finally picked a standard Dress Robe.

" See was that so hard?" Lily asked and James gave her a weak smile, that suggested it actually had been.

" Alright Doe, Sirius, your next" Lily said opening to a new section.

" For what?" Doe asked Lily.

Lily gave me a look of slight annoyance, " You're the maid of Honor, and Sirius is the Best Man, I need your dress to match his dress robes"

Sirius and Doe gave each other a look before looking at the book Lily had passed them.

" Well what about this?" Doe asked pointing to a simple Blue Dress that had a corresponding Black Dress robe with a tie the same color.

" Doe, Have you been listening?" Lily asked, " The theme is Gold and Purple"

Doe sighed, truthfully, she hadn't been listening. As thrilled as she was that James and Lily were getting married, and that she wanted me to be their Maid of Honor, the details bored her tremendously.

After what seemed like an hour of squabbling, and refusal on Sirius part. Lily had finally decided that Sirius and all the Groomsmen would be wearing black dress robes with Gold vests and purple ties. And purple dresses for Marlene and Alice to wear as bridesmaid dresses. As for Doe, Lily had picked out a long gold dress that tied around my neck.

" Okay so now that that is settled can we postpone the wedding talk for a little while?" James asked noticing all of their exhausted expressions.

" I suppose" Lily said looking slightly put out.

" You know you're going to look quite handsome in Dress Robes" Doe whispered to Remus.

A smile spread across his face and he leaned in to whisper in her ear, " Not as beautiful as your going to look in that dress"

" Oi!" James said tossing a pillow at them, " No wedding talk and no whispering"

" Sorry Prongs," Remus said, but he wrapped an arm around her anyway.

" You know what I was thinking about the other day" Sirius said, changing the topic, " the time we flooded the Slytherin common room"

" A classic!" James roared in agreement. Peter laughed loudly.

" All thanks to Moony's brilliance" Sirius said looking at Remus.

Remus sighed, " You used my knowledge for less than favorable reasons"

" Oh come on, Moony. It was brilliant, even McGonagall was impressed" James said.

" I miss McGonagall" Lily said softly.

Sirius eyed her strangely, " You see her twice a week for Order Meetings!"

Lily shrugged, " That's different though, at the meetings she's almost an equal. I miss having her as a teacher"

Sirius raised his eyebrow at her but looked away, " Prongs you're marrying a weird one"

" I miss the whole castle," Doe said, " I mean I love the ministry but it doesn't feel quite right not being at Hogwarts anymore"

" We were certainly less busy at Hogwarts" Remus said.

" And there wasn't a war" Lily pointed out.

A silence settled over all of them.

When they were at Hogwarts, Voldemort had been gaining strength and power, but it was nothing like it was now. Hogwarts had shielded us from the harsh realities.

" You know Regulus didn't go back this year" Sirius said, " My mother kept him home. I suspect he's pledged himself to the Death Eaters"

" You don't know that" James said quickly.

Sirius shrugged, " It seems like the kind of thing he would do"

" The Death Eaters probably aren't always the people you would expect" Peter said quietly.

" But they usually are" Sirius said running his hands through his short hair.

Remus frowned, " You know, It's surprising that none of them have made themselves public yet"

" Eventually they will have too" Doe told him, " the most radical form of allegiance is unwavering public allegiance"

" You know part of me hopes that this will all just go away" Lily said, " as ludicrous as it seems"

Dpe looked at Lily. Her face mirrored an expression of true terror. And as James held her closer to him, she realized why. Lily was a muggle-born. It was so easy to forget. She was exactly the kind of witch that Death Eater's were trying to get rid of.

The rest of them would be targets too. Being in the Order and being Aurors, but their blood wasn't setting them apart. James and Sirius were purebloods, so yes they were blood traitors, but still were pure. Peter, Remus and Doe were half-blood, therefore not relevant in the fight. Doe had already paid the price for her father's blood treachery. His death was sufficient payment for the 'unspeakable' acts he committed in the eye's of the Death Eaters. Lily was the only one of them whose blood status made her a glaring ginger target.

" Don't worry, Lily. Nothing bad is going to happen" James told her.

Doe watched him lie to her effortlessly, calming her. She knew James would rather die than let any harm come to Lily, but there were things even James couldn't control.

Doe highly doubted they would make it through this war without losing some part of themselves. As sinister as it sounded, it was true.

It was out of their hands.


	65. 65 Discoveries and Disceptions

22

Discoveries and Deception:

Doe had been pouring over the details of a vicious muggle murder committed by Death Eaters when Moody walked by and tapped on the wall of the cubicle.

Doe looked up from the report instantly.

" Moody? What's up?" she asked, putting the report down on the desk.

Moody nodded his head towards his office. She followed, watching him stop at Sirius' desk and bring him with them. They entered Moody's office and he closed the door firmly.

" I need you both to do me a favor" Moody said grumpily.

" What is it?" Sirius asked.

Moody reached into the pocket of his robes and took out a sealed envelope. It was addressed to Mundungus.

" This is top secret Order business, I need you two bring it to Mundungus Fletcher, you'll find him at his rickety little kiosk of theft in Knockturn alley" Moody said handing Sirius the envelope.

" Why do you need both of us to go?" Sirius asked quickly.

Moody looked almost angry for a moment.

" In case one of you dies" he snapped, " that is the whole point of having a partner, boy! I swear I am going to have to tattoo Constant Vigilance on both of your arms like Dark Marks"

Sirius looked taken aback. Moody was obviously stressed. Doe couldn't imagine the pressure it had to be being both a key member of the Order and Head of the Auror Office.

" We'll bring it Moody, we can handle it" Doe told him earnestly, grabbing Sirius arm and practically dragging him out of Moody's office.

Sirius pocketed the envelope quickly and Doe shut the door behind him.

" Well he's in a downright lovely mood" Sirius said sarcastically. He walked out of the office at a quickening pace, and seemed to jab the elevator button more forcefully than necessary.

" Moody's got a lot of pressure on him" Doe told Sirius, " You've got to understand why he acts like that. He trusts you, and thinks you're a good auror, that's why he's hard on you. If you were rubbish, he wouldn't care"

Sirius' angry scowl faltered, " Okay I guess, but he doesn't have to be such a git about it"

They felt the elevator tug quickly and almost throw them out into the atrium.

Sirius and Doe apparated into the Leaky Cauldron and waved a quick hello at Tom before tapping the bricks and entering Diagon Alley.

The Alley was less crowded than it usually was around this time. People were so afraid of Voldemort and the war, that they were only leaving when they had too.

Dpe headed down the cheerfully lined street until she reached the darker path to Knockturn Alley.

She hadn't been in there in nearly two years. It was a dark place and she usually avoided it.

Ironically, the last time she had been here had been with Sirius.

Wands drawn, Sirius and Doe ventured down the alley and for the first time she realized how official she must look to others. In their Auror Robes and with their wands out, they looked like established ministry employees.

" Why do you have that weird look on your face?" Sirius asked his eyebrow raised.

Doe shrugged, " As unpleasant as this, we look like real aurors" she told him as they walked further into the depths of Knockturn Alley.

" Well, beautiful that's because we are aurors" Sirius reminded her.

They walked deeper into the alley. As usual, it was full of a strange collection of people. Small kiosks and stands were set up everywhere. All of them selling strange assortments of items.

Eventually, near a winding in the alley, they spotted a rickety kiosk full of odd items, with Mundungus behind it.

" Ah, Sirius, Doe. What are you doing here?" Mundungus asked nervously.

Sirius took the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Mundungus, " Moody asked us to bring this to you".

Mundungus eyed it apprehensively, looking at it like it might bite and then placed it quickly in the pocket of his robes.

" Well thanks" he said quickly, " You better get out of here now"

Sirius stopped and picked up the silver cup on Mundungus' kiosk.

" Hey" Sirius said observing it closer, " This says Diggle, you nicked this from Headquarters didn't you Dung!"

Mundungus snatched it back from Sirius, " Did not".

Sirius eyed him darkly.

" Now you two leave now, yer scaring away me customers" Mundungus said quickly, giving Sirius and Doe a dark look.

Sirius and Doe walked away from Mundungus quickly.

" I don't trust him" Sirius said shaking his head quickly, " he's a bloody thief".

" He's not the most honest businessman, but he is in the Order" she told him.

They walked closer to the entrance to Diagon Alley. She stopped short. Something had caught her eye. In one of the sharp turns of Knockturn Alley, a masked individual had just disappeared.

Doe stopped Sirius putting her fingers to her lips so he didn't make any noise. She nodded her head towards the opening.

Wordlessly, Sirius followed her, both of their wands drawn. They walked quietly and almost tripped over each other when they rounded the corner.

Clustered in a circle, was several of the masked, cloaked individuals. Death Eaters.

Doe quickly pulled Sirius behind one of the low stone walls. This way they were hidden but they could still peer around to see what was going on.

The masked individuals pulled up their sleeves and their Dark Marks were all visible. They lifted their wands and their silvery masks disappeared, revealing their faces.

Doe had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud.

Two of them, she didn't recognize. They were much older and she hand't recalled ever seeing them before. But it was the faces next to them that scared her more. Bellatrix's cold face was standing in between both of the Lestrange brothers. Doe felt a sudden upsurge of confidence as she now knew she had been right about both of them. On the other side of Rabastan stood Sebastian Mulciber and Evan Rosier. And next to them was a face so familiar she had to physically restrain Sirius so he didn't lunge forward and expose them.

Regulus Black stood next to the other Slytherins, looking as poised and comfortable as the rest.

The Dark Mark was clearly visible on his arm. Sirius was livid beside her.

"... this is where he wanted us to meet, right?" Mulciber asked Regulus.

Regulus nodded curtly.

" Honestly Mulciber" Bellatrix snapped, " when the Dark Lord gives you directions you listen"

" I listened when he told me to kill the muggle-born Ferrell didn't I!" Mulciber said angrily.

Bellatrix shook her head.

" One murder doesn't make you a true supporter," Regulus snapped, " only when you have killed as many as I or Bellatrix are you truly in the inner circle"

At these words Sirius sprung forward, exposing himself. Doe lunged after him, unable to stop him, but not wanting him to be alone.

Everything happened very quickly. All of the Death Eaters looked shocked. They drew their wands and instantly disapparated.

" Sirius, let's go" she said grabbing his arm and disapparating, just as she heard Mulciber utter the killing curse.

With a sharp pop they landed onto the hard atrium floor. The ministry was crawling with wizards and witches.

" What did you do that for?" Sirius demanded, " we had them"

She shook her head, " It was six against two, if we hadn't left then, they would've killed us" she told him quickly.

She grabbed his arm, " Come on, we have to tell Moody what we saw" she said dragging Sirius back to the auror office.

" I can't believe Regulus" Sirius said shaking his head with anger, " He's one of them, and he's murdered for them!"

Doe let him rant all the way up to the auror office. She knew that despite his many conversations about Regulus' suspected alliance, he had hoped he hadn't actually done it.

" I'm sorry, Sirius" she said pulling him into a hug.

He just nodded. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it now at work, so she knocked on Moody's door, ready to tell him what they had just witnessed.

The information Sirius and Doe had gained had turned out to help the Order immensely. Though it wasn't enough to imprison the individuals they found, it gave the Order a very clear idea of who to look at. Moody was thrilled with how they had handled it, however he kept stressing the importance of being careful now. Sirius and Doe had made ourselves targets.

Moody was stressing Constant Vigilance more than ever. The recent sighting had seemed to make him more paranoid.

Doe knew she had to be aware. Doe left the ministry late one night, having spent several hours trying to figure out the connection between two of Voldemort's murders.

It may have been the lateness of the hour, but she had been sloppy. She was leaving the Ministry and about to apparate to her apartment when she felt a pair of arms grab her around the waist. Her wand had been in her pocket and now she couldn't reach it.

One of the large hands clamped over her mouth so she couldn't scream, and the figure pulled her off of the street and into one of the bathrooms.

It was Regulus Black. And he was holding her wand, blocking the door to the street.

Doe could apparate now, but she risked losing her wand.

Regulus and Doe stared back at eachother for a moment.

" Im not going to hurt you, Doe" Regulus said.

" Funny," Doe said her teeth bared, " I didn't know it was in the nature of a Death Eater to be kind"

It was strange. Standing in front of her was the younger brother of someone she had known her entire life, one of her closest friends. A kid who helped her chase doxies around the drawing room when they were little. She had watched Regulus grow up, and now he was standing in front of her as a vigilante with a wand pointed at her.

Regulus looked at her quickly, " I'm not going to hurt you" he repeated.

" I need to talk to you" he said quickly, " I need you to tell Sirius I am not one of them"

" I saw your Dark Mark, Regulus" Doe snapped, " and so did, Sirius"

Regulus shook his head, " You don't understand, I am one. But not really. I'm trying to take them down from the inside"

Doe shook her head, " I don't believe you"

Regulus gave her a look that reminded her so much of Sirius it scared her.

" You've known me since I was four" he pointed out.

" And you've hated me and my muggle mom since then" she told him.

Regulus reached out and handed her back her wand, " Now will you listen" he asked.

Doe snatched her wand. She liked being back in control. She had half a mind to apparate now, and leave him standing there but something about his expression made her stay.

" Please, Doe. Just tell Sirius I'm not doing this for the reasons he thinks" Regulus said and with a quick pop he disapparated.

Doe took a deep breath. That had been terrifying. She apparated instantly to the Marauder's flat.

Remus opened the door and looked surprised to find her there.

" I thought you had to work late" Remus said.

" I did, I just left" she told him kissing him quickly. He opened the door and let her in.

" Why do you look so panicked?" Remus asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear quickly, " Where's Sirius?" she asked, " I have to tell him something"

She knew she must look frantic but she was still so confused.

" He's not here" Remus said, " He's on a date. Why? What's wrong?"

Doe closed her eyes for a second. Remus looking very concerned led mher over to the living room and sat her down on the couch. The apartment was empty. All of the other Marauders were out.

She told Remus what Regulus had told me and Remus' face looked even.

" Maybe he's being genuine" he said after a while.

" I don't know, Remus. It was strange. I've never seen Regulus be so human, but he is still a death eater" she said shaking her head.

" You're Sirius' partner and you were there, so I'm sure Regulus thought you would be the best person to try and convince Sirius that he was being sincere. That's probably why he choose you" Remus said.

Doe bit her lip, " I was so scared at first Remus" she admitted, " I thought he was going to kill me"

Remus flinched, " Please don't say things like that, I can't even imagine that"

Remus pulled her against him and convinced her to wait there with him until Sirius returned home. Both James and Peter got home several hours before Sirius. Doe had fallen asleep on the couch with Remus when Sirius finally came back into the apartment.

Remus woke her up and she told Sirius everything that had happened. James and Peter listened to.

" He's full of it" Sirius said when she finished.

She looked at him curiously, " How can you be so sure?" she asked him.

" He's a death eater" Sirius said unblinkingly.

" And you're sure Regulus told you he plans to betray the Dark Lord?" Peter asked, a strange fire burning in his eyes.

Doe nodded, " Yeah that's what he said"

" He probably was full of it" James said agreeing with Sirius.

" Don't worry yourself with it" Sirius told her, " and if he shows up to you again, I'll deal with it"

Doe left their apartment that night feeling very confused.

Was Regulus being sincere? Or was Sirius right and he was just as bad as the rest of them?

Either way, it was something she didn't have the time to deal with anymore.


	66. 66 Precocious Prewetts

23

Precocious Prewetts:

"I am afraid, I have a horrible thing to announce tonight" Dumbledore said at the Order meeting.

He had a horrified expression on his face.

Doe looked around the room. The senior Order members looked just as upset.

" I am afraid that Voldemort had murdered the Prewett Family" Dumbledore said sadly.

Around the room several people gasped. Marlene and Emmeline burst into tears.

" Gideon and Fabian Prewett however were out at the time, and are still alright" Dumbledore added.

Doe's eyes looked over to the spots that were usually occupied by the twins.

" Why?" Lily asked, her eyes full of tears.

Dumbledore handed her a hanky, " The Prewetts refused him"

Lily dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief. She still looked quite upset.

Dumbledore looked around the room again, " Our new top priority is keeping Gideon and Fabian safe. I have spoken to them and neither wants to go into hiding. Meaning it will be on the shoulder's of the Order members to guard their home in surrey"

Everyone nodded intently and Dumbledore began arranging a schedule. Remus and Doe were set to stand guard outside of their house in a few nights from now.

The rest of the meeting was quite a sour one. The news of the Prewett family death had been awful. Alice, who was a cousin of the family, hadn't fully recovered from the news.

Molly Weasley, their younger sister was clutching at her husband Arthur, looking very miserable.

When the meeting ended, Lily and Doe left the Diggle Manor and headed back to their apartment.

Lily still quite shaken up, " Their poor family" she said quietly.

Doe shook her head, " It's horrifying"

Lily looked down, " Maybe it isn't the right time for a wedding"

Doe stopped her, " Lily, of course it is. This is the perfect time for a wedding, with all that's going on, we could use a little more love"

Lily smiled slightly, " Well does that mean that next month isn't too early?"

" Next month?" Doe asked her.

It was sooner than she had thought it would be, but she figured in right of recent events it would be a good thing.

Lily nodded.

" Next month sounds great, Lilypad" she told her and took her arm walking back to their apartment.

" That is brilliant that is" Doe told James.

They were all sitting at one of the tables in the Lively Portkey and he had just shown her the Order spell for communication he had mastered. His patronus, a large stag, had taken form and repeated everything he said to it.

" I need to master it" Lily said, trying and watching her own patronus, a Doe, fail at repeating it.

Sirius eyed Lily's patronus strangely and the turned to Doe, " Have you ever wondered why Lily's patronus is a doe, and yours isn't, I mean it is your name"

Doe shrugged, " Lily's is a doe because James' is a stag I'm guessing"

" But why wouldn't that be yours, I don't get it" Sirius said shaking his head.

" Well mine's a gazelle" Doe said conjuring it for him.

" Dorcas means gazelle" Remus pointed out, " her given name translates to gazelle"

" Which incidentally are hunted by wolves" Doe pointed out.

Remus gave her a look and rolled his eyes, " Exactly what I want to hear, that by nature I try to kill you"

" Maybe chase would have been a better word" she said with a small smile.

" Probably" Remus agreed, smiling slightly.

" Actually," Lily said, " James and I had something to tell you guys"

" You're pregnant aren't you?" Peter said quickly.

Lily eyes him strangely, " What? No. Why would you think that?"

" Just an idea" Peter said.

Lily blinked quickly, " No, actually James and I just decided something we wanted to tell you"

She elbowed James.

Realizing she wanted him to talk, James said " Oh, huh well, Lily and I have decided to move in together and we found a house and everything, so we just wanted to tell you guys"

" You're moving out already?" Sirius asked, looking slightly disappointed.

James nodded quickly.

" It just makes the most sense" Lily added.

Doe should have realized this was coming. They were getting married of course they would live together.

She would be living alone now.

Sirius made a face, " Well looks like we have an open room in the apartment"

He turned to her, " Hey Meadowes, how do you feel about having three roommates, since you're also without one now"

" Living with three Marauders?" she asked him. She shook my head firmly, " I think I'll pass on that one"

They chuckled.

It would be sad though, now living alone. Doe liked living with Lily. It felt like what she imagined growing up with a sister would.

" When are you moving out?" Doe asked Lily.

Lily looked at James, " Well we already found the place. It's a little house in Godric's Hallow. So this week I think"

" A house?" Doe asked her, " What does it look like?"

Lily smiled widely, " Oh Doe, you're going to love it. It's _so_ charming!"

Lily began telling them all about the house and the neighborhood. Everyone looked very excited about it. Everyone, except Sirius. Doe noticed he looked rather put out about it.

She expected he would probably miss not having James live with him anymore. They were very close.

As the night got later, Remus and Doe had to leave to watch over Fabian and Gideon.

" Please be careful, you two" Lily called as they left.

" Dont worry, we will" Remus assured her.

They left the pub and Remus took her hand. It was starting to warm up outside as summer approached.

" Lily and James are moving in together, and getting married" Doe said in disbelief as they walked deeper into the alley.

" It seems like everything is changing" Remus agreed, " Do you think you'll be okay living alone?"

Doe nodded, " I'm sure, I'll be fine. I've got all those enchantments."

Remus nodded, " I just worry about you"

She squeezed his hand, " I know, but I'm always okay"

Remus looked at her, " I know, but I am in love with you. It's my job to make sure you stay that way"

She spun around quickly, " Yes but I am fine. It's you I should be worried about" she said tracing one of the new deep scars on his arm.

He shook his head, " It doesn't even hurt, don't worry about it"

" Telling me not to worry is like telling me not to breathe" she pointed out, " I never stop worrying"

Remus took her hand and kissed it before clasping it tightly, " We should go, Emmeline and Caradoc are waiting"

She nodded and felt Remus apparrate quickly. She closed her eyes and they landed on the side of the the Prewett Home.

Seeing them, Emmeline and Caradoc apparated quickly and they resumed their place. Sitting down on the low garden wall.

" Emmeline really does look quite a lot like you" Remus said, " like you could be cousins"

Doe nodded, " I know, our fathers used to joke about that all the time."

They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the empty street in front of the Prewetts home.

Remus clasped her hand between his hands, holding it there.

" Is something the matter?" she asked him.

He was looking down, and he shook his head, " No, I was just thinking about life is all"

" Oh, is that all?" she asked, a wide smile on her face.

Remus smiled back at her, " Yes, life and all of it's complicated faucets"

" And what conclusion have you come too?" Doe asked.

" I haven't" Remus said, " I'm trying to decide if life is a serious of random occurrences or is ruled by something greater"

" Like fate?" she asked him.

He nodded, " Do we make our own decisions and create our own paths, or are we victims of a pre-decided series of event?"

Doe intertwined her fingers with his, " I think maybe it's both"

" What do you mean?" Remus asked her.

She looked up at him. " I think there is a plan for how our lives are going to go, but with every decision we make, we change it. And in that way, we have the power to change our fate"

Remus looked at her, " Well that was very profound".

Doe grinned, " It happens occasionally"

Remus leaned over and kissed the top of her head. He stayed there for a minute, holding her against him.

" I feel very sorry" Remus began, " for those who live life without someone they love"

" A life without love isn't one worth living" she told him, " I think thats why James and Lily have decided to get married so suddenly, they don't want to live without being so"

" Most likely," Remus said, " It's something James' been talking about since third year, he always knew he'd marry Lily"

" Way before she did" Doe said with a laugh.

" You've got to admire his unwavering persistence" Remus pointed out.

Doe was about to say something when a cat jumped up onto the other side of the wall and knocked over the large metal gate that had been leaning against it. There was a terrible crashing noise and the door of the Prewett's house opened quickly, and Fabian emerged wand drawn on them.

" Fabian, it's me, Doe" she said stepping in front of him, " and Remus"

Fabian eyed them strangely, " Ppp prove it" he said his wand still raised, " show me your left arm"

Doe lifted her sleeve, " Fabian it's me, and if I was a Death Eater taking Polyjuice Potion, I wouldn't have Dark Mark. Next time make sure you ask a personal question" I told him.

Fabian lowered his wand, " Sorry, Doe, Remus. I'm just a little paranoid lately"

Dpe nodded, " It's okay, you have reason to be".

" Gid, it's just Doe and Remus" Fabian called into the house.

" How are you doing?" she asked him.

Fabian looked down solemnly, " Besides Gideon and Molly, all of my family is dead. And it's all Voldemort's fault"

" He's going to fall eventually Fabian," she told him earnestly.

" But he as so many followers" Fabian said shaking his head.

" It's the quality of one's convictions that determines success, not the number of followers" Remus told him.

Fabian sighed, " I really hope you're right"


	67. 67 Late Nights & Lonely Rooms

24

Late Nights and Lonely Rooms:

The next few weeks flew by in a blur. Doe was busier than she ever thought possible. She had Order Meetings almost every night and whenever she wasn't at work, Lily was bringing her somewhere to help her finish last minute wedding details. She was so busy, that she only saw Remus for a few passing minutes during lunch and at Order Meetings.

Doe was also becoming obsessed with stopping future Voldemort attacks. The murder of the Prewett Family had affected her worse than she had imagined and she had made it my mission to try and stop anymore from happening.

Tonight was a full moon, and in order to stop herself from sitting in an empty apartment worrying desperately about Remus all night, she had stayed late working. The auror office was empty. Everyone had left hours ago. She sat in her cubicle pouring over reports. She looked at the fake window in the office. Seeing as the ministry was underground, the 'weather' visible in the window was controlled by management.

 _They must be in good spirits_ she thought to herself, looking at the cloudless night and the large full moon visible.

" Meadowes?" Moody called from behind her., " What the hell are you still doing here, it's almost eleven"

She turned around quickly, Moody had left hours ago.

She jumped up and drew her wand on him. " What is my mother's name?" she asked him.

" Anne Leighton Meadowes" Moody answered correctly, a smile appeared on his face.

" I see that the idea of Constant Vigilance is finally starting to sink in" Moody commented.

" You can only be caught by Death Eaters so many times, before you realize you may be the problem" Doe told him.

" Well now that you have realized I am your boss, answer my question ' what are you still doing here?" Moody asked.

Doe looked down slightly, " I don't want any more unnecessary deaths"

" Come to my office, Meadowes. Let's have a spot of tea" Moody said walking towards his office.

Doe followed him, watching him raise his wand and unlock his office. He walked behind his desk and waved his wand. Two cups of tea appeared. He handed one to her.

Doe sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

" I'm very impressed with the auror you've become, Meadowes" he told her.

She blinked quickly at him. She hadn't been expecting that.

" Thank you, Moody" she said still slightly in shock.

She took a sip from the tea. It was warm.

" You and Black have both been working harder than some of the senior aurors I've seen" Moody said, " and it shows"

" Someone has to do it" she said.

" If you keep this up, Meadowes you'll have a long career ahead of you" Moody said, " But if you overwork yourself, you'll burn out before you can. Go home, I'm surprised Lupin has let you stay here this long"

Doe blushed slightly. She knew Moody knew that Remus and she were together, but seeing him mention it so casually was still odd.

" It's a full moon, I don't think he knows" she told Moody.

Moody nodded, " Ah, yes. I forgot. Well that explains it. Either way, go home and get some sleep Meadowes, that's an order"

Doe nodded, " I will, thank you Moody".

Moody nodded gruffly and opened the door with a flick of his wand.

Doe left the ministry quickly. It was pitch black outside. She apparated back to her apartment.

It was silent.

Lily had moved out a couple of weeks ago and Doe still hadn't gotten used to living alone. Her room was empty, and she hadn't even decided if she was going to do anything with it. She had just shut the door, and pretended she was still there.

Living alone felt wrong. Too adult.

She had spent the last eight years of her life sharing a bedroom with someone, and even before that her house had had both of her parents.

She wished it wasn't a full moon. She wished Remus was here.

He and Sirius were sitting in the cottage a fully formed wolf and dog. Peter was probably with them.

It made her feel useless that she couldn't be there. She loved him and there was absolutely nothing she could do to make this process any easier.

She went into her room and sat on the bed. She felt far too awake to sleep. She looked around the room. She hardly spent any time in here anymore. Besides sleeping, she was too busy.

Her Puddlemore United poster looked like it was falling down and my Gryffindor tapestry was covered with dust.

One flick of her wand and the poster reoriented itself and the dust cleared instantly. She laid back on her pillow looking at the full moon and trying not to think about the about the probable pain that Remus was experiencing in the cottage.


	68. 68 The Potter Wedding

25

The Potter Wedding:

Doe had woken up early the morning of Lily and James' wedding. It was being held at the Potter's Mansion, on their enormous grounds and Doe had promised Lily she would meet her there very early the morning of.

The Marauders had spent the night there and were supervising the setup of everything.

Doe dressed quickly in jeans and then apparated to the front of the Potter's mansion. She was going to knock, but the door was already open. Delivery men were slipping in and out bringing in tables and flowers.

Doe walked through the massive house and almost was decapitated by two men carrying a large swan ice sculpture.

" Doe!" James said walking into the living room and spotted her, " there you are, Lily's asking for you. She's in the bedroom upstairs and to the right"

Sirius, Peter and Remus were walking through the door behind him.

" Hello" Remus said walking over and kissing her quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

" Hi" Doe said grinning widely and kissing him back.

" Hi, Doe" Peter said happily.

" Hi, Peter" she smiled at him. He looked less tired than he had recently. She was glad he was feeling better.

' I've got to go upstairs and help Lily" She told Remus quickly, " Maid of Honor duty calls!"

Doe walked upstairs and to the door that James had told her. She opened it quickly.

Lily was sitting in one of the chairs, still dressed in her pajamas, having her hair done by a woman in emerald green robes.

" Doe, you're here! Thank Merlin" Lily said gratefully.

Doe grabbed one of the armchairs and pulled it next to here, " Of course I am, It's your wedding day"

Lily smiled, " Can you believe it?" she asked, " I am going to be Lily Potter"

" 'I'm never going to marry James'" Doe said intimidating a younger version of her.

Lily smiled again, " I never would have believed you if you told me this two years ago"

" No one would of, Lil. You were adamant" Doe told her.

She smiled, " I was silly back then, and James really got his act together"

" You two are the perfect couple" Doe told her.

She smiled, " I really love him"

Doe grabbed her hand, " I know you do, Lily".

Lily spent the next few hours getting ready. She couldn't go downstairs for the risk of James seeing her, so every so often she would send Doe downstairs to check and make sure everything was going smoothly.

It was. Everything looked beautiful. Leading from the house down into the massive gardens was a beautiful alter with a large assortment of satin chairs for the guests, with a rose lined alter for Lily and James to stand under.

Beyond the altar was a massive white tent set up with a stage, dance floor and tables for the reception.

The whole backyard of the Potter's mansion had been transformed into a photo from a Bridal magazine.

On her last trip down there, James, Sirius, Peter and Remus were sitting in the kitchen drinking butterbeer.

" How is she?" James asked me, when Doe sat down in Remus' lap.

" She's great, she's really happy" Doe told him.

James smiled, " She is going to be my wife today. I am marrying Lily Evans today"

" Yes Prongs we all know" Sirius said quickly.

Sirius looked at Doe, " We all got tossed last night and he kept repeating it over and over" he said.

" I didn't say it that often" James said crossing his arms.

" Oh no, " Sirius said, " only once"

" Or twice" Peter added.

" a minute" Remus finished.

James frowned, " Just wait until you all get married" he said crossly.

Sirius shook his head, " I'm never getting married"

" So what did you do last night?" Doe asked them.

Sirius grinned, " Oh you know, girls, booze and partying"

" I'd like to point out I didn't look at another girl" Remus said eyeing Sirius.

" Nor did I" James added quickly.

Sirius grinned, " Okay so the girls were for me"

Doe shook her head at him, " I have to go back upstairs before Lily has a panic attack about her bouquet" she told them and walked back upstairs.

Marlene and Alice had arrived in her absence and were both doing their makeup with Lily. Their identical purple strapless bridesmaid dresses hanging on the rack beside them.

" Doe, Hi!" Alice said happily.

" Doe!" Marlene said throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me into a hug.

" Hi, guys" Doe said smiling brightly at them.

" Can you believe we are at Lily and James' wedding?" Marlene asked.

Lily turned around. Her face was elegantly highlighted with flawless makeup and her hair hung loosely in large curls down her back.

" Lily you look beautiful" Doe said looking at her.

She smiled, " Thank you"

They had a little less than an hour before it started. Doe sat down and did her makeup and put her hair into a low updo.

They we were a little less than 15 minutes from starting they all got dressed. Doe's dress was gold and tied around her neck.

It was backless and Doe was quite impressed with it. Silently thanking Lily for not being the kind of bride to choose ugly dresses.

Lily was putting her dress on behind the curtain in the room.

A moment later she stepped out in a beautiful thin strapped ball gown.

Doe wanted to cry. She looked so beautiful. Her best friend was getting married.

" Oh, Lily!" Doe cried pulling her into a hug.

" I can't believe I'm doing this" Lily said taking a deep breath, " I'm actually getting married"

" I am so happy for you" Doe told her.

She smiled widely and wiped the edges of her eyes with her hands.

There was a knock at the door, and Marlene & Alice were standing there.

" Everyone's ready, It's time" she said.

Lily nodded and they all left the room and walked down the stairs.

The doors to the grounds were open and the wedding march started to play. Lily took a deep breath. Doe squeezed her hand reassuringly. Alice started walking out first, followed by Marlene. Doe went out next, walking down the aisle hoping desperately she wouldn't trip. At the altar Doe saw James waiting for Lily, and Remus Sirius and Peter beside him.

Doe caught Remus' eye and winked before standing beside the spot where Lily would be standing.

A moment later there was a collective gasp as Lily left the house.

She walked down the aisle gracefully and walked over to James, looking at him with so much love, Doe wanted to cry.

An older wizard stood at the altar beside them. He raised his hands and everyone sat down. Doe saw Lily's parents wiped their eyes in the front row.

The wizard began to speak, " We are gathered here to celebrate the union of Marriage between Lily Evans and James Potter"

The ceremony was short. The moment Lily and James were declared husband and wife, the entire audience broke into collective cheers and began clapping.

Lily and James smiled at each other and James looked like he was going to cry from happiness.

The reception was almost as wonderful as the wedding. Lily and James had arranged a group of wizards to play music the entire time. When the band announced it was time for the first dance for Mr. & Mrs. James Potter, Dpe watched them spin madly around the dance floor.

Soon people began joining them.

" Come on" Remus said taking her hand and leading them to the dance floor.

His hand was on her exposed back, the other one holding her hand. Doe placed her other hand on his shoulder and let him spin her around the dance floor.

" You look absolutely stunning tonight" Remus whispered in her ear as they danced.

" You look pretty handsome yourself" she said looking at him in the dress robes.

He spun her out and pulled her back to him, " I can't believe they're actually married" Remus said happily.

" They're in love" Doe told him.

" I know the feeling" Remus said pulling her closer to him and kissing her neck. Doe laughed lightly, moving across the dance floor with him.

After another song, Sirius came over looking very flushed.

" Here, Moony let me dance with Doe, I've just danced two songs with Lily's great auntie Elizabeth and she's frightening" Sirius said quickly.

Remus laughed, " She's all yours" he said letting go of her and kissing her on her cheek.

" I'll be at the table" Remus told Doe, going to sit down at the table beside Peter.

Sirius took her hand, and his hand replaced Remus' on her back. This song was much slower. A jazz song.

" Can you believe it?" Sirius asked as they danced, " were at our best friends wedding" he said shaking his head in disbelief.

" Next one might be one of us" she told him.

Sirius laughed, " Sooner you than me" he said dipping her slightly.

" You never know" she told him.

" Yes I do" he said quickly.

Lily's photographer stopped and took a picture of them. The brilliant flash almost made her slip on the hem of her dress.

" You know, you look nice tonight, Meadowes" Sirius said as they moved across the dance floor.

" I'm just not in my auror robes, with my hair a mess" she told him.

He laughed.

" You look nice too, Siri" she told him.

" Lookin good, you two" James called to them as they danced by them. He and Lily hadn't let go of eachother yet.

Sirius spun Doe out and back towards him,

" You know, you're dancing skills have improved since Andromeda's wedding" he commented.

" Give me some credit, I was only fifteen" she said definitely..

" Still" Sirius said, "So was I, and I danced flawlessly"

The song ended and Doe elbowed him hard in the ribs, " You must just be better than me" she told him.

Sirius laughed and followed her back to the table. He, Remus, Peter, and Doe were sat at Lily & James' table with Lily parents.

Doe danced with Remus a few more times as the night went on. Strangely, they couldn't keep their hands off of eachother. Remus was in an extremely affectionate mood.

They only stopped when Lily announced the would be doing the toast. Both Sirius and Doe were going to speak.

" And first up we have the Best Man speech" the wizard with band announced handing the magical microphone to Sirius.

Sirius grinned, " Hello, I'm Sirius Black, James' Best Man and Best friend"

Several people clapped and Sirius grinned wider.

" I am still in shock that we are all standing here looking at Mr & Mrs. James Potter. James has loved Lily Evans since age eleven when he first saw her. He was obsessed, and honestly she wouldn't give him the time of day"

Lily giggled and kissed James.

" .. and we all told James to give up. But he never would. He loved her too much. He's always loved her and he's always going to. For as long as I've known James Potter, he's loved Lily and I doubt he ever won't. So to Lily and James the ultimate romance" Sirius said.

Lily smiled and James gave Sirius a tight hug.

" and here's Doe the Maid of Honor" Sirius said and handed her the microphone.

Sirius sat down and Doe took his spot on the stage.

" I'd like to begin this by saying if you told any of the people in this room, three years ago that we would all be sitting at James & Lily's wedding, you would have been brought to St. Mungos and taken straight to the fourth floor"

All of the witches and wizards in the room chuckled.

" but honestly, I've known Lily since we first met on the Hogwarts Express, and for seven long years I listened to her complain about James and how she would never marry him, and somehow deep down, I knew we would all be here tonight. James and Lily love each other the way we should all strive too. There love is one of the strongest I've ever seen, and I have no doubt that they will be the most happily married couple that anyone has ever seen. So congratulations to Lily & James!"

Several people clapped and Lily pulled her into a tight hug when she sat down.

" That was beautiful, thank you" she practically sobbed into her shoulder. Doe hugged her tightly.

The rest of the wedding was just as beautiful. It continued on for several more hours, until Lily & James eventually left for their Honeymoon.

Sirius was flirting with one of the cocktail waitresses' and Peter had already left. Doe turned behind her and pulled Remus into a kiss. He smiled.

" Come home with me" she whispered in his ear.

Remus smiled wide and took her hand, apparating instantly.

They landed in the doorway of her bedroom. Remus didn't hesitate. He pulled her into a passionate kiss, his hands holding her exposed back.

She snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His hands moved upward to untie the knot around her neck holding her dress up. It slipped off of her quickly.

She grabbed Remus pulling him towards her and onto the bed, thinking how lucky she was to have someone she loved so much.


	69. 69 The Eager and the Expecting

26

The Eager and the Expecting:

" Okay so remind me again why we are doing this?" Sirius asked holding the other side of the couch.

They were trying to move the furniture in Doe's living room. Now that Lily was no longer living there she decided it was time for a change.

" Well since you're here anyway, and I needed help" she told him grabbing the end of the couch and moving it to the other wall.

Lily and James had left for their Honeymoon a week ago, and since then Sirius had been spending quite a bit of time at her apartment. She suspected he missed James.

" You're not as fun as James" Sirius joked putting down the end of the couch.

" Well, I am the _other_ best friend" Doe pointed out.

Sirius crossed his arms and gave her a knowing look, " Come on, you know that's not true"

She shrugged, fixing the blanket that had slipped off of the edge of the couch.

" Doe," Sirius said firmly, " you know that you're my best friend and so is James. I need both of you"

She looked up at him giving him a strange look. She knew Sirius was friends with both James and Doe, but she often felt like the 'other' friend.

" Well you know how much I need you" Doe said slightly irritated.

Sirius laughed, " Come here, you idiot" he said and pulled her into a quick hug.

" You really aren't as fun as James though" he added.

She shoved him, " Someone has got to be the serious one!"

Sirius grinned widely and she realized what she had said a few second too late.

" Aren't I the Sirius one?" Sirius asked.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, " You. Are. An. Idiot."

Sirius smiled, " Oh really? Because I seem to remember that you needed me"

" I despise you" She told him pulling herself onto the counter.

" Okay, Meadowes" Sirius said sitting down beside her.

" Moony still visiting his parents?" Sirius asked her.

Doe nodded glumly. Remus' parents had missed him and asked him to spend a few days with them. They had invited Doe as well, but she felt as though that would be intruding so she told Remus to go without her.

She was regretting it terribly. She missed him a lot.

" He's one of those who is lucky enough to still have them" Doe said sadly.

Sirius frowned, " Have you heard from your mom?"

Doe shook her head, " It's been a year, what mother goes an entire year without even caring?"

" Mine" Sirius said, " I left almost four years ago and she hasn't contacted me once"

Doe sighed, " Thats awful, Sirius. Im sorry"

Sirius shook his head, " I think it makes us better people"

She shook her head with a slight laugh, " I don't know about that" Her voice softened, " I just wish I still had family, you know?"

" You do" Sirius said instantly, " You have me. And Remus, Lily, James, and Peter. We are your family, Doe"

Doe brought her knees to her chest, " I know that. And I love you all, it's just still sucks"

Sirius nodded, " I understand, trust me of all people I get it"

Doe nudged his leg with her foot, " At least we have each other right?" she said.

Sirius nodded, " The pair of orphaned best friends"

Doe had been feeling very sick lately. It was mostly in her stomach, She felt like she was going to throw up. She must have caught some sort of bug. It made her very uncomfortable. She tried to keep very busy to distract from it. Aurors were too busy for sick days.

Luckily, Lily and James had come back on Friday night, so the next morning She went over to have breakfast with Lily.

" So how was it?" Doe asked her.

They were sitting in her kitchen, eating pancakes and she was detailing every detail.

" Oh, Doe it was wonderful. We were in this adorable little cottage in East France and the whole village was just so charming!" She exclaimed.

She went on telling her about all of the wonderful day trips and cozy evenings that they had spent together.

" That sounds amazing, Lily. I'm glad you had a good time" she told her.

" I did. I loved it" she said.

Doe took a bite of pancake and instantly regretted it. She felt like she was about to be sick.

" Are you okay?" Lily asked quickly, " you're very pale"

Doe took in a small breath, " I think I'm going to be sick" she said getting up quickly and making her way to Lily's bathroom.

She ended up kneeling over the toilet in discomfort before she threw up. She felt miserable.

Doe cleaned herself up and walked back into the kitchen.

" Are you okay?" Lily asked again. She was cleaning the plates from breakfast.

" Yeah, I'm fine. It's just this stomach bug I've had for a couple of days" Doe told her.

Lily blinked, " A couple of days? Is it when you eat?"she asked.

Doe nodded glumly and sat down at the bar stool in the kitchen.

Lily looked confused for a second and then her eyes widened, " Doe, you don't think you could be.." she trailed off.

" What?" Doe asked her, feeling very out of the loop.

" Pregnant" Lily finished.

Doe looked at her in shock, " No, I can't be." I said quickly. " Remus and I always use the protection spell"

" Always?" Lily asked.

" Yeah-" Doe stopped short paralyzed with fear realizing that there was one night when they hadn't.

" Oh no, the night of your wedding" Doe said burying her face in her hands.

Remus and Doe had gotten so carried away that night they had completely forgotten about it.

Lily gasped.

Doe shook her head firmly, " No, it's got to be a stomach bug" she repeated firmly, " I can't be pregnant"

Lily bit her lip, " but, you could be"

Doe's chest began rising and falling quickly, " I can't be. I'm only nineteen, and I'm an auror. I'm in the Order of the Phoenix for Merlin's sakes" She was babbling quickly. The fear making her nervous.

" It's got to be a stomach bug" she repeated.

" Calm down" Lily said putting an arm around her shoulder. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Lily stood in front of her, " Look I know you are freaking out and it probably is just a stomach bug, but we have to go to St. Mungos and find out for sure okay?" she said.

She intoke a small breath and nodded quickly.

" Come on, we'll floo there" Lily said, " just in case"

Her eyes widened. She knew why she didn't want to apparate. It wasn't good for pregnant women.

She couldn't be pregnant. She wasn't old enough. She wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility.

She wasn't, She told herself. But a tiny voice in the back of her head kept saying _but what if you are_.

Lily handed her a scoop of floo powder and she dropped it into the fire, loudly saying " St. Mungos".

The flames rose around her and she was engulfed in them, stepping out a moment later, into the St. Mungos fireplace. Lily was right behind her.

She took me by the arm and led me to the receptionist.

" Hi" Lily said smiling sweetly, " Do you know which floor we would go to for a pregnancy?"

Doe flinched at her words. The receptionist noticed.

She turned back to Lily, " That would be the fourth floor"

" Spell damage?" Lily asked, " why is that?"

The receptionist smiled, " It was the failure of a protection spell that did this too you, wasn't it"

" Oh" Lily said," well thank you"

She took her arm and led her to the elevator pressing the button for the fourth floor.

Doe was terrified with fear. She couldn't be pregnant.

Lily squeezed her hand to comfort her as the door opened. Doe let her speak to the receptionist on this floor and only followed her when she walked into one of the rooms. Doe was practically bouncing with nerves.

Lily explained the situation to the Healer in the room, and the woman nodded curtly.

" Well if you are pregnant, there is a simple spell that will tell us" she said patting the spot on the bed for Doe to sit down.

She sat down and the witch held her wand over her stomach, " _Revelio!_ "

There was a quick flash of white light. She looked at the Healer to see if this was good or bad.

She shook her head, " You're not pregnant, you have a stomach virus"

Doe felt a tremendous weight being lifted off of her chest.

" Thank Merlin" she said happily.

The healer flashed her a quick smile and left the room.

Lily pulled her into a hug, " See it's okay"

Doe took in a deep breath, feeling suddenly relived.

Lily looked at her curiously, " Can I ask you something?"

" Of course" Doe told her.

She made a small face, " Would a baby really have been that bad?"

Doe sighed, " For me, right now? Yes. It would be different for you Lily, you're married and you have a desk job. I'm an auror and in the Order, I'm constantly put in danger, and Remus and I haven't even talked about kids yet. I don't know how he would feel about any of this"

Lily frowned, " I know your job right now is too dangerous for a baby, but I think Remus would have been supportive"

Doe smiled, " I know he would have been, but it's not an option right now"

Lily smiled, " I understand"

They walked out of the room and towards the elevator,

" You know though, that kid would have been beautiful." Lily pointed out.

Doe laughed lightly, " Okay, Lily"

After the extremely traumatic experience Doe had had this morning all she wanted to do was see Remus. She apparated to his apartment and Sirius let her in. Remus' door was closed so she knocked on it.

" Come in" Remus called from inside. Doe opened the door. Remus was lying on his bed, reading a very large book in his hands. He moved it away from his face.

" Hey, I didn't know you were coming by" he said happily.

Doe nodded, " I really missed you"

Remus smiled and patted the spot next to him on the bed. Doe closed the door behind her and curled up next to him. Wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest.

" Are you feeling any better?" He asked, running his hand up and down her back.

" A little" she told him.

" I'm glad" He said kissing her forehead.

" Actually," she said looking at him, " Lily took me to St. Mungos today. She, well she thought I might be pregnant"

Remus stopped moving for a second. He had gone still, " And are you?" he asked softly.

Doe shook her head, " No, it's just the flu. I should've started with that. Sorry" she said pulling him closer to her.

Remus put down the book and wrapped both arms around her, " You must've been nervous" He whispered into her hair.

Doe nodded, " I was".

" You know," Remus whispered, " If you had been, I would've taken care of you. I wouldn't have wanted you to be apprehensive of telling me something like that"

Doe looked up at him and kissed him, " I know that, I wasn't worried about how you would react, more about what I was going to do if I had been"

" When did we even-" Remus began but stopped, " Ah, the wedding"

Doe nodded laughing slightly, " We may have been a bit pre-occupied"

Remus grinned, " I fear that may have been my fault"

She rolled over so that she was hovering over him, " You were quite enthusiastic weren't you?"

" I was looking at my gorgeous girlfriend" Remus said, " and I was overwhelmed with my love for her, you can't blame me"

She bent her head to kiss him full on the lips.

He pulled her against him again, " I'm glad you came over actually" he said, " I wanted to ask you something"

Doe looked up at him, " And what's that?" she asked.

" Well when I went to my parent's house, they gave me the key to the lakehouse for the weekend. They thought you and I might enjoy a weekend vacation"

" Really?" she asked propping herself up on her elbows.

He nodded, " Do you want to go?" Remus asked.

Doe smiled, " Of course, I do" I said.

Remus broke out into a wide smile, " Let's go then, this weekend"

Doe nodded, " Let's go"


	70. 70 Lupins Lakehouse

27

Lupins' Lake House:

After clearing it with Moody and Dumbledore, Remus and Doe were all set to go to the lake house for the weekend. Doe was extremely excited. An uninterrupted weekend just the two of them sounded perfect. It was exactly what they needed. With all of the stress from work and the Order, the thought of just being with Remus was something Doe would have traded everything for.

So on Friday night, she showed up at the Marauders apartment bag in hand, ready to go. Peter had come to the door and let me in.

" You two must be looking forward to spending time together" he said happily, "what with the war and everything"

Doe nodded, " It's going to be really nice"

" Moony and Doe shacking up for the weekend?" Sirius said leaving his room and throwing on a jacket, " better watch out before you two are married next"

Sirius walked over and gave Doe a quick hug, " I have a date, but you two be careful. I don't fancy coming home to find two of my best friends murdered or something"

" I think we'll try and avoid getting murdered if at all possible" she told him.

Sirius grinned, " Have fun" and with a small pop he disapparated.

Remus came out of his room then, holding a small bag, " You ready?" he asked happily.

Doe nodded, and he took her hand apparating quickly.

Doe didn't know where they were going. Remus held his hands over her eyes and led her forward.

" I can't see a thing" Doe told him.

He held her closer to him, leading her, " Thats the point" he whispered against her neck and kissed her.

" No fair" I pouted.

Remus laughed, " It's just a little further"

They walked forward a few more steps and Remus moved his hands from her eyes,

" Welcome to the Lupin Lake House"

Doe gasped. It was beautiful. It was a wooden house nestled in between a canopy of trees, overlooking a large lake.

" Wow" she said softly.

Remus smiled, " Come on" he said taking her hand and leading her inside.

If at all possible, the inside of the house was even more beautiful than the outside. The living room had a large fireplace and was flanked by large squishy couches.

The kitchen was next to it and it had a little kitchen table, surrounded by armchairs.

The entire house was made of the same worn wood. It was one of the coziest places I had ever been.

" What do you think?" Remus asked coming up behind her.

" It's wonderful" she said still looking around the room in awe. Remus took her bag from her, " I'll bring this to the bedroom"

Doe followed behind him, anxious to see what it looked like. The bedroom was made of brown wooden furniture. In the middle of the room was a large canopy bed with a fluffy white bedspread. It looked like something out of a catalog. Doe sat down on the bed and laid back.

" This is perfect" Doe told Remus, " it's lovely"

Remus sat down next to her, " I'm glad you like it"

Doe leaned over and pulled him on top of her. He laughed, " Now whose enthusiastic?"

She grinned sheepishly, " I could go, if you'd prefer"

Remus rolled his eyes at her and pulled her back into a kiss.

" You know, I could get used to this" Remus called from the bed.

Doe brought in the two cups of hot cocoa she had just made, trying to balance both with one hand, and keep the sheet wrapped around her.

Doe handed him one of the cups and curled back up beside him.

" Me too" she said leaning against him.

He took a sip of the hot chocolate and let her rest her head against his chest.

" I hope we always stay like this" she told him, " this happy and in love"

Remus grabbed her hand, " I certainly plan on it"

" Do you think we will ever end up married one day, Rem?" she asked him.

Remus sighed, " There is nothing I would love more than to be married to you, Doe. But I think that would be profoundly unfair to you, you deserve so much better, someone who doesn't have my condition"

Doe turned around quickly to look at him her eyes wide, " Remus, there is no one better than you"

Remus looked down, avoiding her gaze, " I don't think you fully understand. Being married to me wouldn't be easy. People like me, they tend to be ostracized in society. We're aren't accepted, I wouldn't want to do that to you. You shouldn't have to worry about why people aren't talking to you because of what your husband is, and our future children shouldn't have to be teased for having a werewolf for a father"

Doe grabbed Remus' face by the chin and forced him to look her in the eyes,

" Remus John Lupin" she said pronouncing each one of his names carefully, " I want you to listen to me and listen to me very carefully" she told him.

He looked at her strangely.

" I love you. I always have and I always will. You are the most kind special person I have ever met. This condition? It's nothing more than that, a condition. It does not change how I feel about you whatsoever. You are still the most kind-hearted, brilliant, and unselfish person I have ever met. Our future children would be lucky to have you as a father, and I would be lucky to ever be able to say I was married to you"

Remus looked at her strangely. His expression was soft. A mixture of compassion and sorrow.

He waited a moment and then pulled her towards him, closing the distance between them.

" You're perfect, you know that?" Remus asked stroking the side of her face.

She shook her head, " I'm not"

" Rubbish" Remus said shaking his head.

" Sirius might just chuck himself out a window if another one of us gets married" Remus pointed out.

Doe laughed, " He might actually"

" Actually," Remus said, " You two are such good friends I can see it perfectly, I'll be carrying you home on our wedding night and Sirius will be waiting on the front porch asking 'what took you so long? I was bored'" Remus said with a shake of his head.

" That sounds like something he would do" she agreed.

Remus and Doe sat there talking for the rest of the evening. Lying there wrapped in each other's arms, it was easy to forget everything else.

The next two days at the Lake House were some of the happiest Doe had ever had. They spent most of their days sitting by the lake reading, and their evenings curled up on the couch. It was one of those weekends that Doe knew they were lucky enough to be able to enjoy and that was worth the massive pile of work she would have when she returned.

On their last night there, they were sitting together in one of the large armchairs, reading from the same book when Remus turned to her abruptly, " Can I ask you something?"

She shook her head, " Nope" she joked.

Remus continued looking at her, " I was wondering if maybe you wanted to live together?"

" Me and you?" Doe asked.

Remus nodded, " I think it would be easier, you know. We spend so much time at each other's apartments anyway, and this way you wouldn't have to live alone and I could be there for you. But if you don't want-"

She stopped him, " Remus, yes. Of course"

" Really?" Remus asked.

" There is nothing I would love more" Doe told him.

Remus grinned widely.


	71. 71 Invention of a Lifetime

28

Invention of a Lifetime:

The next few weeks seemed to disappear. Remus and Doe had decided it was easier for him to move in with her, since her apartment was empty anyway, so they had spent the week after he got back moving his things into her flat. It was wonderful having him live there. Doe was so happy to wake up next to him everyday. And with how busy she was with the Order and at work, it meant she got to see him more often.

Moody had bogged her down with work. Though he wouldn't let her stay late anymore, he gave her so much work she ended up having to take some of it home with her.

One night, she was just about to leave when Moody called her into his office.

" I found something I think might be of interest to you, Meadowes" Moody said handing her a clipping from the Daily Prophet.

She took it from him and read it quickly, it was detailing the procedure for making a new potion called ' The Wolfsbane Potion'.

" What is this?" I asked Moody.

Moody smiled, " That potion there, allows individuals to keep their mental state when they transform during the full moon"

It took Doe a minute to realize what he was saying.

" Wait, so are you telling me that this potion, it would make Remus stay in his mindset when he phased" Doe asked.

Moody nodded.

A new excitement flowed through her, " I can't believe this" she said happily clutching the prophet article.

" Go home" Moody said, " Share that with Lupin"

" Thank you Moody" she said happily and left the office quickly.

She waited until she was in the atrium and then apparated out of there quickly and into their living room. Remus was sitting down in the armchair looking rather upset.

" Remus, what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Remus looked down and shook his head, " it's nothing"

She sat down on the arm of the chair next to him, " Rem? Is everything alright?"

Remus' mouth trembled, " Mr. Crouch fired me"

" What? Why would he do that?" I asked in disbelief. Remus had been exceptional at his job.

Remus took a deep breath, " Seems he figured out about my condition and decided he didn't want someone like me working for him"

Doe's mouth gaped open, " Thats horrible, he can't do that, that's that's discrimination"

Remus shook his head, " Unfortunately, he can"

Doe pulled Remus into a hug, " You're brilliant. Forget about this, you'll find an even better job"

Remus didn't look as convinced.

" You're home early" he said effortlessly changing the topic.

" I have something to show you" Doe told him taking out the article, " and it might make you feel better"

Remus took it and read through it thoroughly. His eyes widening as he read every detail.

" Is this real?" he asked.

Doe nodded smiling widely.

" This changes everything, Doe." Remus said his excitement rising, " if this works I won't have to be a monster, I can stay me"

" I know" Doe said breaking into a wide smile. Remus jumped up happily, looking more excited than she had seen him in a while.

He pulled her into a hug, " Thank you for showing this to me" he said happily.

" No problem" she told him and watched as he celebrated his newfound happiness.


	72. 72 The Casualties

The Casualties:

" Meadowes Lupin it's urgent," a stern voice rang into the silent bedroom. Doe woke instantly, as did Remus. Standing in front of them was the wispy Ox Patronus that belonged to Moody.

" There's been an incident, I need you both at Headquarters. Meadowes fetch Black and meet us there" the Patronus ordered before disappearing.

Remus and Doe got up instantly getting dressed and slipping on their robes.

" I'm going to go get Sirius" Doe told Remus, " I'll meet you at Headquarters"

Remus nodded and they both disapparated. Doe landed outside of Sirius' apartment. She felt around underneath the mat for the key, and slipped it into the lock, unlocking the door and walking into the apartment.

Doe knocked loudly on Sirius' bedroom door. A second later Sirius answered it, squinty eyed and exhausted. He wore pajama bottoms and no shirt.

" Meadowes, what are you doing here?" he asked sleepily.

" Moody sent me something's happened, he needs us at Headquarters" she told him.

He nodded, " I'll just change".

A minute later he emerged from the room fully dressed.

" So whats going on?" he asked.

Doe shook her head, " I have no clue".

They apparated to Headquarters and knocked on the door.

Moody's head emerged and he drew his wand on them, " What was the last words I spoke to the pair of you?"

" That I needed to get my head out of my arse" Sirius mumbled angrily.

Moody moved away from the door and ushered them in quickly.

" Moody, what's going on?" Doe asked.

Moody sighed, " You'll see"

He led them into the drawing room, where the rest of the Order was gathered around something on the floor.

They were bodies, two of them, covered by a white sheet.

" Voldemort finally got to Gideon and Fabian" Moody said behind them. Sirius just stared forward.

Doe felt her knees shake beneath her. She had just seen them last night when she patrolled.

" How?" Doe asked quietly.

" Mundungus was patrolling" Moody said sourly. Doe noticed Mundungus was missing from the room.

Several people all around the room were crying. Doe noticed Molly and Arthur Weasley were also missing.

Tears started rolling down her face as she realized she would never see Gideon or Fabian ever again. She would never see the smiles on their faces when they told a joke or recounted on something they had did at Hogwarts.

They were gone. Voldemort had taken them from then.

Doe was overwhelmed with sadness.

" He knew this was going to happen, Fabian did, he told me a few weeks ago" Doe sobbed.

Moody bowed his head, " They're casualties of war, this is just the beginning"

Sirius blinked, " The beginning?" he asked.

Moody nodded, " It's a war, it's only going to get worse"

Doe knew Moody was right. This was the green flag for Voldemort. The war had begun, and so had the a new era. One of fear and distrust. An era of war.

The Raging Era.


	73. 73 The Raging Era

It was early. Earlier than Doe normally would have ever gotten up, except for those specific mornings once a month. It was the only time she ever rose this early. She sat in one of the armchairs facing the door. Waiting, and worrying.

Every full moon was always the same. She couldn't sleep. She would just spend hours tossing and turning, hoping desperately that Remus was okay, and that the next morning she would see him.

This morning was no different.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and kept looking at the clock. It was twenty five past five. He should be here any minute.

She watched the shadows on the wall. It didn't matter how many times she did this, she was just as nervous every time. Living with Remus had actually made it worse.

Before, she wouldn't have noticed if he was five minutes late. Now, it was easy to assume the worst.

No matter what she did, she could never properly distract myself. Books became boring and household tasks would leave her mind free to wander back to the cottage.

She could do nothing but sit there. And wait.

She heard a key in the lock and the door opened.

Remus sauntered into the room looking highly disheveled. He was the most tired looking 19 year old she had ever seen. Sometimes there was so much sorrow beneath his blue eyes.

He barely had time to put his bag down before she had thrown her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her.

She felt him wrap his arms around her as well, letting her bury her face against his neck.

She let go of him a minute later and she noticed the deep scarlet scratch on his right cheek.

" It was a bad night" he said quietly.

" Come on," she said leading him into the kitchen, " I'll get them"

Remus followed her and sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen, unbuttoning his shirt and discarding it. He looked down at the floor.

In addition to the new scar on his face, his chest and back were covered with fresh, red scratches.

Doe started to clean them. Remus barely flinched anymore.

This had become a monthly routine for them.

Ever since he had moved in, Doe always spent the morning after the full moon cleaning him up. It was the small part she could play in making the process slightly easier for him.

She moved to face him, cleaning the wounds on his chest and making her way up to the one on his face. This was the first time she had ever seen him scratch his face.

" Just what I needed" Remus said with slight anger, " a neon sign on my face telling everyone what I am"

She bandaged it, and tucked some of his hair behind his ear, still kneeling in front of him.

" You could have a hundred scratches on your face and it wouldn't change anything" Doe told him, " you'd still be the same handsome, compassionate man I know"

Remus didn't say anything. He looked down.

" Don't you tire of this?" he asked quietly, his voice was hard, " of the stress, and the worry, and the chore that it is? I don't understand why you put up with this. You don't have too"

She crossed her arms, " You're right I don't have too"

Remus looked up at her, his mouth pulled into a tight line.

She waited a minute before she responded.

" I want too" she told him, " because I know you would do the same for me"

Remus shook his head, " But it isn't you, you could go if you wanted too, you could be with someone else"

He stood up. He looked like he was on the verge of snapping.

She grabbed both of his hands.

" Can I ask you a question?" she asked him.

Remus nodded, " Of course"

She looked at him sternly, " If I was bitten by a vampire and had to survive on blood for the rest of my life, but I was the same person, would you leave me?"

" Of course not, I love you" Remus implored.

" Then how is this any different?" she asked.

Remus looked down again, " This is different, this didn't happen to me like that. I have always been this way, I'm always going to be this way"

" Well, I've always loved you and I'm always going to love you, so you're going to have to put up with me sticking around" Doe told him.

Remus sighed, " I don't know how I managed to find someone like you"

Doe walked over to him and closed the distance between them, kissing him tenderly.

They had this argument often, usually after a full moon or a failed job interview. She just hoped that after enough times, Remus would realize that nothing would make her leave.

" We've got a couple hours before the Order meeting" she told him, " let's go to bed, okay?"

Remus nodded and they went back to their bedroom, curling up underneath the quilt. He fell asleep quickly, and so did she. She was comforted having him beside her. She fell into a deep sleep, and began to dream.

 _"_ _Ah, yes young Dorcas Meadowes" a cruel voice rung out._

 _It was like knives cutting the air._

 _The face that had spoken the words was equally as terrifying. A cold pale face, with slits where a noise should be._

 _He smiled a malicious smile. A smile that had been present for so many unforgivable and unspeakable acts._

 _It was the smiling face of Voldemort._

 _"_ _Join me" he said again, " join me and all your fears will simply go away"_

 _"_ _Never" Doe said loudly._

 _The smile faltered, turning into a pair of pursed lips._

 _"_ _Then death" they said, and there was a flashing green light._

Doe awoke suddenly. Her chest rising and falling. Remus arms were still around her.

He awoke a few seconds after her, " Everything alright?" he asked, yawning slightly.

Doe nodded, " Everything's fine, Rem." she said leaning down to kiss his forehead.

He smiled slightly and tried to pull her back into bed.

" We have an Order meeting" she reminded him, throwing a glance at the clock. The meeting started in a half hour.

Remus sighed, " Perhaps we don't go, what happens then?" he asked quietly.

Doe bit her lip, " Well, everyone will probably think we've been murdered by Death Eaters, and will come looking for us, and when they find us in bed, they'll assume we've joined ranks with Voldemort, for the sane Remus & Doe would never skip something as crucially important as an Order meeting, and then I'll be fired, we'll be taken to Azkaban for questioning and be ceremoniously shunned from everyone we know"

Remus frowned, " So I suppose we have to go then"

Doe nodded and hopped out of bed.

Remus sighed and followed her. It seemed his mood from earlier in the morning had disappeared, for now he was back to his usual self.

Doe got dressed quickly, pulling her auror robes on over her clothes and left the bedroom.

Remus was already in the kitchen. He had put on some tea and was attempting to use the oven. He had his wand out and was observing it with a curious expression.

" I was trying to make eggs" he said as she walked over, " but it seems to be resisting me"

Doe laughed lightly, " I'll do it" she said taking out her wand and waving it front of the oven. The pan began to move itself and the eggs levitated over the pan, cracking and scrambling themselves.

" You're amazing, you are" Remus said staring at the spoon move around the pan by itself.

Doe shook her head, " I'm rubbish at household magic, you should see Lily, she can conjure an entire Christmas Dinner"

Remus sat down at the table, " Well, I think you're pretty great at it"

He opened today's copy of the prophet and flipped a few pages to in. She knew he was looking at the classifieds. Ever since he had been fired from his job in the ministry, he cowered the ads everyday.

Unfortunately, it was harder than either of them had thought. Mr. Crouch had informed many of the ministry Department heads about Remus' condition, so he was having trouble even procuring an interview.

Doe put the breakfast on two plates and brought one over to him. He ate quietly, not taking his eyes off of the prophet.

" Anything interesting?" she asked him.

He sighed, " Not really,".

Doe felt horrible for Remus. He was one of the most brilliant wizards she knew. He had done even better than her on every exam they had ever taken at Hogwarts. He should be able to have his choice of jobs, but he was being denied them all because of something out of his control.

" Well, Dumbledore said he should have the Wolfsbane potion in a few months right? Once he gets that, it should help things" Doe told him.

Remus nodded solemnly, " I hope so"

" It will " Doe assured him.

Remus and Doe finished their breakfast and then apparated to Headquarters.

Morning meetings were the worst. Discussing Voldemort and his recent deaths really made it hard to focus on anything good for the rest of the day.

When they got to the door, Moody wrenched it open before we could even knock.

" What do I want to tattoo on your wrist?" Moody asked.

" Constant Vigilance" Doe said glumly. Moody moved from the door frame to let them in.

" Did you ask Lupin a question when you say him this morning?" Moody asked her as they walked into the main room.

" Moody, we _live_ together" she reminded him.

" Yes and?" Moody asked.

Doe rolled her eyes, " Don't you think I would have noticed If I woke up next to Death Eater?"

Moody growled, " This is a perfect example of how you ignore constant vigilance, wizards much older than you have been tricked by the power of Death Eaters. You're getting as sloppy as Black"

" How is that I always get brought into the argument?" Sirius asked.

He was leaning against the wall in the living room.

" Because you don't learn either" Moody snapped. He stalked off towards the corner of the room where Dumbledore was standing.

" Hey Moony, Doe" Sirius said walking over, " Mad-eye's in such a cheery mood isn't he?"

" Is he always like that?" Remus asked them.

Sirius and Doe met each other's eyes.

" Most of the time" she said truthfully.

They all walked into the living room. The meeting hadn't started yet so most of the Order members were just standing around, engaged in conversation.

"Oh, James. You are way too old for this!" Lily said angrily stomping down the hallway, with James at her feet. " Oh calm down Lily, I was only messing around" James said.

" What did you do now, Prongs?" Sirius asked, smiling widely.

James grinned sheepishly. " I may have charmed the mirror in our bedroom to insult anyone who tries to look into it"

" It told me I had spattergroit!" Lily said crossing her arms angrily.

" Well obviously you don't" James pointed out.

Lily shot a dirty look at him, " That is not the point, James"

Doe exchanged a look with Remus. They never fought like that. Their fights were usually over much more serious topics. Doe was silently thankful that Remus was the most mature of the marauders.

She squeezed his hand, and he smiled at her slightly.

" Lily, I'm sure James didn't mean it to bother you" Peter piped up quietly joining the conversation.

Lily shook her head, " Oh yes, defend him!".

She grabbed her by the arm, " Come on, Doe" she said leading her away from the boys. Doe cast a confused look back at the rest of them while Lily dragged her away from them and over towards the meeting table.

" Lily, you know James just likes to mess around" Doe told her.

" I know," Lily said patiently, " it just drives me mad sometimes"

" All part of being married, I guess" Doe told her.

" Well you'll see soon enough" Lily said tossing her hair behind over her shoulder.

" What do you mean?" Doe asked her.

" Well I thought it was rather obvious" Lily said, " I think you and Remus will be married soon"

Doe blinked quickly at her, " Remus and I? I doubt it"

" Doe, you've been together for four years, it's not that strange" she pointed out.

Doe shook her head, " Lily, you don't understand. He still thinks he's not good enough. I have to try and convince him everyday that I'm not going to leave, I doubt he'd propose"

Lily frowned, " Trust me, Doe. When someone loves you the way that Remus does, he won't be able to go on much longer without doing it"

Doe shrugged, " I don't know"

Lily smiled slightly, obviously thinking she was right.

Dumbledore sat down at the table, and soon the other members joined him. Everyone gathered around the table.

" I thank you all for coming in this morning, I know it is quite early, but we have a few rather important things to discuss" Dumbledore said.

" No one else has been murdered have they?" Caradoc Dearborn asked anxiously.

Dumbledore shook his head, " Not yet, Mr. Dearborn"

" Yet?" Marlene asked, her eyes wide.

" You are all on treading on the line between life and death," Moody said harshly, " you're trying to stop Voldemort, remember?"

Moody's words had a strange effect on most of the Order members. Most of the younger members looked quite nervous.

Sirius caught Doe's eye and winked. They were both used to Moody, so this didn't phase them even slightly.

" While Mad-eye is essentially correct, there is no immediate danger" Dumbledore said quickly, " today's meeting is to discuss the Ministry's recent acquisition of knowledge. It seems that the auror office has received word of some other suspected Death Eaters. As we all know, Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Evan Rosier, Sebastian Mulciber, Severus Snape and Regulus Black have all been identified" Dumbledore said curtly.

The names of some of them came as quite a shock. Doe had known Dumbledore was going to announce this eventually. It was the information Sirius and Doe gathered in Knockturn Alley.

" Regulus _Black_ you said?" Mundungus asked, his eyebrow raised and his face turning to Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Yes, Dung. My brother. Have you got something to say about it?" he asked angrily.

" Nope" Mundungus said still eyeing Sirius suspiciously.

" The ministry" Dumbledore began, " has begun to question individuals they consider 'suspicious' but besides the above mentioned eight, there has been no proof"

" Have those eight been arrested then?" Emmeline Vance asked.

Dumbledore shook his head, " They are aware they've been identified. They are avoiding being caught, staying hidden"

Emmeline's face grew quite pale.

" As Lord Voldemort's power continues to grow, we must continue to combat it, starting soon. I will have special missions assigned to all of you. These will be very specific to each person, until then however, I warn you all to be careful. I will see you Friday Night for another meeting" Dumbledore.

He rose and took Professor McGonagall's arm. Together they apparated back to Hogwarts.

There was a rustle as everyone at the table got up and left, starting their days. It was barely nine.

" Come on, you two. We've got work to do" Moody said to Sirius and Doe.

Being the only two aurors in the Order, Moody had been relying heavily on Sirius and Doe for a lot of jobs in the office. It was a miracle if they made it out of there early during the week.

They used the Diggle Fireplace and flooed into the atrium of the ministry. The ministry was crowded. It always was in the morning.

" Nice to see you, Alastor" an older looking wizard called to Moody as they got into the elevator.

Moody roughly pressed the button for the second floor. The door was about to close when a hand stopped it and Lucius walked in.

His long blonde hair was tied back with a black ribbon and he wore emerald robes, brandishing the Slytherin color like an honor.

" Look forward to seeing you later, Mr. Malfoy" Moody said looking straight forward, an obvious smile plastered on his face.

" Oh, I'm sure you do" Lucius said harshly.

Doe didn't know what they were referring too, but the tension between them was undeniable.

The elevator opened on the second floor, and Sirius, Moody, and Doe left quickly.

Most of the other aurors were already in the office.

The job of most of them lately was tracking the all of the recent deaths to Death Eaters. There were pictures of their victims and crimes scattered all over the desks of almost every auror.

Sirius and Doe headed for our cubicles when Moody stopped her.

" Not you, Meadowes" Moody said, " You're coming with me to the courtrooms for the interrogations"

" You want me to go?" Doe asked.

Moody nodded, " I have to go, and they want me to take an auror. Take your wand"

Doe pocketed her wand quickly, nodding at Moody.

" I see you're choosing favorites now" Sirius said leaning back in his chair. He was smiling, obviously joking.

Moody didn't seem to find it as amusing, " When you start doing what I say like Meadowes does than maybe I'll take you too"

Sirius rolled his eyes slightly when Moody turned his back and started walking back to the elevator. Doe had to jog to keep up with his pace.

He got into the elevator again and selected level 9.

" You know Sirius does care" Doe said to him quietly, " he just messes around"

" Black is a good auror" Moody said staring at the elevator buttons, " but he could be a great one if he just focuses. I'm hoping to scare him into it"

" Well good luck" Doe told him, " Sirius is one of the most stubborn people I've ever met"

The elevator dropped quickly. So quickly she had to cling to the handle that was hanging from the ceiling.

The doors opened and revealed a long black shiny hallway. All of the walls seemed to be made of mirrors.

Moody exited the elevator. She followed him.

" So this is where the courtrooms are?" Doe asked as they passed a series of doors.

Moody nodded, " And the Department of Mysteries"

" What's in the Department of Mysteries?" Doe asked.

" Well if you knew it wouldn't be a mystery now would it?" Moody asked shoving the door to Courtroom ten open quickly.

Doe didn't know what to expect, but she didn't think it would be quite so crowded. In the middle of the floor was a large chair. Doe noticed it had chains attached to it.

There were Hit Wizards standing next to it. In front of the chair was stacked rows of witches and wizards. The entire Wizarding Gamot and Confederation of Wizards was sitting on one side. The Minister of Magic himself was sitting in a large high rise chair, surrounded by his staff.

" Come on" Moody said climbing over rows of seats. De followed him and sat down in the seat beside him a few rows up from the front. Doe noticed Dumbledore was on the other side of Moody.

" Hello Alastor, Ms. Meadowes" Dumbledore said quietly.

" Hello Professor" she said with a smile.

" I see you followed my advice and brought an auror" Dumbledore said to Moody.

" I think it'll be good for her to see this" Moody said quickly.

" See what?" she asked.

Moody turned to face her quickly, " How effortlessly Death Eaters will deny what they are"

Doe wanted to ask what he meant by it, but she didn't have time. The door to the courtrooms opened and in strode Lucius Malfoy.

" Aw, Mr. Malfoy" the minister said, " thank you for coming, please have a seat"

Lucius looked at the chair with the chains with a look of pure loathing and sat down quickly.

" I assume you know why you are here?" the minister asked.

" To make it clear to the entire wizarding community that any accusations against me are completely unfounded" Lucius said proudly, " and to deny any involvement with these proclaimed Death Eaters"

" Bloody lying piece of scum" Moody said under his breath.

" Well let us begin then" the minister said looking to Lucius, " Are you Lucius Malfoy involved in anyway with You-Know-Who or any of his supporters?"

" No" Lucius said quickly.

" And do you have any knowledge about the whereabouts of any of these supporters or You-Know-Who himself?" the minister asked.

" No, I do not" Lucius said firmly.

" And are you Lucius Malfoy, branded with the Dark Mark?" the minister asked.

" No, I am not" Lucius repeated.

" Do you know of the identities of any Death Eaters?" the minister pressed on.

Lucius simply shook his head.

" Thank you for coming" the minister said quickly, " please send in the next person".

Lucius got up from the courtroom quickly and left.

Doe turned to Moody enraged, " Thats it?" she asked, " a few questions? No veritaserum? They didn't even check for the Dark Mark!"

" It's preliminary" Moody told her, " Even the minister doesn't think that individuals you saw are involved"

Doe crossed her arms, " So what does he think? Sirius and I made it up?"

Moody turned to her, " The individuals you named come from very prominent families, to accuse them is to alienate big supporters of the ministry, and they don't want to do that, so they're ignoring the information"

Doe pursed her lips, " We risked our necks to get them that information and they choose to ignore it?"

" You would be surprised how often it occurs, Ms. Meadowes" Dumbledore chimed in from beside Moody.

Dpe sat with Moody and Dumbledore for the next few interrogations. They were all the same. They asked the exact same questions as they had asked Lucius.

None of the suspected answered yes to any of the questions. It didn't surprise her. Death Eaters weren't going to just admit what they were.

It seemed as though the minister didn't even want to catch them.

When the interrogations were over, Doe grumpily followed Moody back to the office.

" Now you see why the Order is so important" Moody whispered to me as they opened the auror office doors.

Doe nodded, " We're the only ones that are doing anything"

Moody nodded curtly.

" The war will never end like that" Doe said shaking her head, " we need real evidence of their identities"

" That's what we're trying to do, Meadowes" Moody said, " and if you have any other ideas other than yanking up the left sleeves of the suspected feel free to let me know"

He stomped off towards his office without another word.

Doe sat down in her cubicle and looked at the stack of death reports that had been left there.

" How was the dungeons with Moody?" Sirius asked, rolling his chair into her cubicle.

" Irritating" Doe said flipping through the reports in front of her.

Doe explained what had happened in the courtrooms to Sirius.

" Are you kidding me?" Sirius asked, " what's the point of getting the information if they won't even bloody use it?"

" I know" Doe said shaking her head, " It's ridiculous, but it helps the Order"

Sirius sighed, " At this rate, Voldemort will never be stopped"

Doe leaned back thinking how very right Sirius was.


	74. 74 Blood-Traitor Black

The Blood Traitor Black:

" I'm just saying, she could have done a better job at hiding it" Lily said defensively.

" She probably wasn't" Doe said taking a sip from her butterbeer.

The six of us were all sitting around a table at the Leaky Cauldron having dinner, discussing the fact that Rodolphus Lestrange and Bellatrix and Lucius & Narcissa had gotten married.

It had been awhile since they had all been together. Ever since Gideon and Fabian's death they were all too busy.

" How did you even hear about this?" James asked Lily, " I thought she was in hiding"

" Someone in the women's bathroom was talking about it" Lily said.

" Everyone is getting married" Peter said shaking his head in disbelief.

" Well I'm not" Sirius said taking another sip from his glass of firewhiskey. He had looked very bored during their conversation.

" Well that is your own fault" Lily told him, " you choose the wrong women. If you tried to settle down, you might want too"

Sirius made a face.

" You know, you could try it" Remus told him, " I mean Marlene was your longest relationship"

Sirius shook his head, " Sorry Moony, the only woman who can stand me for long periods of time is Doe, so unless you're suggesting I marry her"

" And even I can't stand you for that long" Doe said with a smile.

Sirius crumpled the napkin in front of him and tossed it at her, " Be quiet Meadowes, you love me"

" Actually, Peter is right, everyone really is getting married. My parents told me last weekend that Petunia is getting married too" Lily said.

" Really? Is she marrying that awful Vernon" Doe said shuddering at the time she met him the summer before fifth year.

Lily nodded, " Unfortunately, he's so revolting"

Doe tried to imagine what any wedding of Petunia's would look like. Probably something as traditional and boring as she could get.

" From what I've seen, he's quite the brutish kind of man" James said, a look of dislike evident on his face.

Lily looked like she had something to add, but was quickly interrupted.

" Hey there Remus" Arthur Weasley said stopping by their table.

" Oh, Hello there Arthur" Remus said greeting him.

" I got your note," Arthur told him, " but my department head said it wasn't the right time. Sorry mate"

Remus waved him off, " No, Don't worry about it. Thank you for telling me"

Arthur clapped him on the shoulder quickly and then hurried off to where his wife, Molly, was waiting for him.

" What was that about?" James asked.

Remus shook his head, " Nothing important"

Sirius eyed Remus strangely before turning to Peter who was anxiously trying to tell him something.

" Doe," Lily asked from beside me, " You know Petunia's wedding is in a few weeks and James really doesn't want to go, do you think maybe you'd want to go with me? I don't really want to go alone"

Doe nodded, " Of course, Lily"

She smiled, her whole face lighting up, " Oh, I love you. Thank you so much!"

Doe shook her head, " I'm dying to see what kind of wedding Petunia would throw"

" So am I" Lily said, " something horribly boring, no doubt"

" Knowing her, it will be" Doe agreed.

Meanwhile, James, Sirius and Peter were discussing going to the Lively Portkey for drinks.

" What about you Moony?" James asked, " you coming?"

" Oh," Remus said quietly, " I don't know, Doe did you want to go home or?" Remus looked to her anxiously.

" Go ahead, I'll see you when you get back" Doe told him.

" You sure?" Remus asked.

" She'll be fine, come on Moony, come with us" Sirius pleaded.

Doe nodded, " Have fun, I'll be fine"

Remus smiled appreciatively at her and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, " I'll see you in a little while"

Doe got up from the table.

" I'm going to go home too" Lily said, " I'll walk out with you"

" Be careful, you two" James called to them as they left the leaky cauldron and exited onto the muggle street.

" He loves you a lot" she said to Lily with a smile.

She grinned, " I know. It's wonderful"

" You two really have grown so much together" she told her, " neither of you are the same people who hated each other at Hogwarts"

" That seems like a lifetime ago" Lily said shaking her head.

It was just barely nighttime, and the street was full of muggles still.

" I'm going to walk down a bit before I apparate, please be careful and send your patronus when you get home" Doe told Lily.

She nodded, " You be careful too" she said hugging me tightly.

They went separate ways. The street was crowded with people. There must be something going on. Maybe a festival or something. A slight wind blew by and ruffled her hair.

Doe got the strange feeling that she was being watched.

Doe shook her head. Moody was making her paranoid. She was in muggle London.

She kept walking past the muggles, looking for an empty street or alley she could apparate in.

Up ahead was an opening to an alley. She headed for it. Before she got to it, someone grabbed her arm. She spun around quickly drawing her wand.

" Don't" Regulus said putting his arms up in front of him.

" Regulus?" she asked, " what are you doing? Were you following me?"

Regulus nodded, " I need to talk to you".

Her head was racing. _Leave_ her inner voice ordered. _Apparate now_ it repeated.

But Regulus was looking at her with a desperate look again. It was strange how much he reminded her of Sirius sometimes. His hair was shoulder length like his, and he was dressed in muggle clothing.

" Give me your wand and I'll talk" she said firmly, not lowering hers.

Regulus sighed and reached into his pocket pulling out his wand and handed it to her.

He gestured to the alley to their right and started to walk into it. Doe followed him.

" You've got to stop doing that, I'm trained to attack" she snapped at him.

Regulus bit his lip, " Well would you really have agreed to talk to me if I hadn't cornered you?"

She shrugged and shook her head. Now that she was holding his wand, She felt like she was in control again.

" Did you talk to Sirius about our last conversation?" Regulus asked.

She frowned, " He doesn't believe you"

" Do you?" Regulus asked. For the first time she realized how young he looked. He couldn't be much older than 16 or 17.

Doe sighed, " I don't know, probably not"

Regulus' face fell, " I'm no longer loyal to him. You have to know that, I want Sirius to know that too"

He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of parchment, he handed it to her.

" What is this?" she asked looking at it.

On it, was a list of names.

Doe scanned through it quickly. It had over twenty names on it. Many of them she recognized. Most of them were Slytherins. She saw the name Bellatrix Lestrange shine from the top.

" It's a list of confirmed Death Eaters" Regulus said quietly.

Doe looked at him, eyes wide.

" It's not all of them" he said quickly, " I don't know all of them, no one besides the Dark Lord does, but I figured it would help you"

" It will" Doe said, still in shock.

" Just please tell Sirius I gave it to you" Regulus begged, " and tell him I'm not one of them"

" I'll tell him, but he might not listen" she told him.

Regulus nodded, " I know."

I handed him his wand and he took it.

" Doe" Regulus said quietly.

Doe looked up at him.

" I'm sorry for the way I used to treat you" Regulus said and flashed her a saddened look.

Doe disapparated quickly, in case Regulus' motives were not as honest as he had led her to believe.

She didn't go home. What she had was too valuable. She apparatted to the ministry. It was after eight. Chances were that no one was here, but she had to check.

She made her way to the auror office and was pleased to see that the light in Moody's office was on.

Doe knocked on the door.

Moody opened it quickly, " Meadowes, do you ever go home?" he asked.

" About as often as you do" she told him.

He opened the door and let her in. She sat down in the chair in front of his desk. She noticed a large bottle of brandy was open and sitting on it.

" So tell me what warrants this late a visit?" Moody asked.

" I have something" she told him taking out the parchment, " something you want to see" she said handing it to him.

Moody opened it and read through it quickly, " What is this?" he asked.

" Confirmed list of some of Voldemort's supporters" Doe told him.

Moody stared at her in disbelief, " Where did you get this?"

She took a deep breath, " Regulus Black".

The look on Moody's face was a mixture of anger and frustration. Doe launched into the tale of both times Regulus had come to see her and how he had given her the list.

" Do you believe him?" Moody asked when she had finished.

She shrugged, " I don't know what to believe" I said, " but he's got the Dark Mark, he's committed murder"

Moody sat down and ran his hands through his hair, " This will help, we can get organized" he repeated.

" I should go" Doe told him, remembering Remus would be returning soon, " I'll leave that with you"

Moody nodded and flicked his wand lazily, letting the door swing open.

Doe left the ministry quickly this time. Apparating instantly into the apartment, to avoid any other unwanted visits from Death Eaters.


	75. 75 The Tale of Fenir Greyback

The Tale of Fenir Greyback:

The next morning it was evident that Moody had taken the list Doe had given him to heart.

The wall where they had hung the timeline of Voldemort's murders, was now cluttered with the twenty large photos of the suspected Death Eaters on the list. Their names were scribbled underneath them. All of the photos were directly under a large sign that read

' Suspected Death Eaters: Armed & Dangerous'.

" How did he find out about all of these people?" Sirius asked as they walked over to them to get a closer look at all of the names, " Nott? I didn't even know he was suspicious"

Doe blushed deeply, " About that, I actually have something to tell you"

Sirius looked at her strangely, " What are you secretly a Death Eater? Because if so, this would be a really stupid time to tell me"

" Yes I am a Death Eater" she said quickly, rolling her eyes " and my job is to do you in"

Sirius grinned, " Sorry, it's just you trying to kill me? Thats a laugh"

Doe raised her eyebrow, " Are you suggesting I couldn't take you, Black?"

" Thats exactly what I'm suggesting, Meadowes"

" I could do it wandless"

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, " What did you have tell me?"

She snapped back into it, remembering what she had to tell him, " Well it's about Regulus"

Sirius expression changed, " What did he do this time? Did he find you again?"

Doe told him everything that happened, and how Regulus had given her the names that were on the wall right now.

" He's desperate for me to tell you he's not with them" Doe told Sirius.

" He's a very convincing liar" Sirius said harshly, " I mean he came to you, and he hates you. You know that, you don't find that strange?"

Doe nodded, " I'm not saying he's not lying, I'm just saying it looked like you not trusting him was hurting him"

" You see the good in people too often" Sirius said shaking his head, " Regulus hates me, he was thrilled when I moved out"

Doe shrugged, " I wish he'd go to you instead of me"

" Hex him next time" Sirius said, " then he won't come to you again"

Before Doe could respond, Moody came stomping out of his office and stood in front of the wall.

" Everyone come around here" he ordered.

All of the aurors, both Senior and Junior crowded around the wall where Moody was standing.

" So as you can all see," Moody said, " we have a new set of suspected individuals to watch out for. I'm going to be assigning one of them to twenty of you, and it will be your job to individually capture the witch or wizard you have been assigned."

Moody flicked his wand and a stack of individual pieces of parchment flew to different people in the room.

Doe picked up the one that flew to me. It read 'Alecto Carrow'. The name was familiar. She was a few years older than Doe. She had been in Slytherin when they were at Hogwarts. Doe remembered her striding around the castle with her twin brother Amycus, hexing any first year they found.

" Who'd you get?" Sirius asked looking over her shoulder at her name.

" Alecto Carrow, What about you?" Doe asked.

" Antonin Dolohov" he said. The name didn't sound familiar. He must have been older.

" You can go down to the Magical Record Keeping Office sometime today and get the files on your suspected Death Eaters" Moody said sternly, " try and recognize patterns and their habits. Eventually, I'll want you to start tailing them, but not until you are fully versed on their lives"

Doe looked at the wall behind him and read through the names, Mulciber, Nott, Snape, Greyback, Lestrange.

Her eyes darkened at Bellatrix's picture. Part of her wished she had gotten her. Nothing would have thrilled her more than to be the one who threw Bellatrix in Azkaban.

" I'm going to go get the records" Doe told Sirius.

Doe nodded, " I'm going to stay here, I've got some paperwork Moody want's me to finish"

She left the office and headed towards the Magical Recordkeeping Office. It was on level five, just off of the Magical Law Office.

The woman at the desk was a witch who reminded her of Mrs. Potter. She had a wide kind smile and her heart ached as she remembered that same smile given to me so many times from Mrs. Potter.

" Can I help you?" She asked.

She handed her the parchment with Alecto's name on it, " I need her records, please" Doe told her.

The witch disappeared into the backroom. Doe waited by her desk, watching her quill continue to scribble on without her.

" Has Bethesda gone in the back then?" A wizard asked beside her.

He had a small mass of curly brown hair and was wearing black Ministry of Magic robes. He looked like he was in his late twenties.

" Oh, yeah. She has" She told him.

He nodded. Doe turned back to look at Bethesda's desk.

" Are you new?" the wizard asked, " I don't think I've seen you around here before"

" I'm a new auror" Doe told him, " I've only had the position for a few months"

He nodded looking satisfied with the answer, " I'm Augustus. Augustus Rookwood" he said extending his hand to her.

Doe shook it, " I'm Doe Meadowes"

" Meadowes?" Rookwood asked, " like Auberon Meadowes?"

Doe nodded, " Yes"

Rookwood looked forward, " the pureblood who married the muggle right?". The look of slight distaste on his face was evident.

Doe didn't answer, she just turned pointedly forward. Bethesda returned a moment later with a folder that read _Carrow, Alecto_

" Here you go" she said handing it to her.

" Thank you" Doe said taking the folder from her and heading back to the Auror Office.

It had been awhile since anyone had mentioned her father's decision to marry her mother. Most people who knew him didn't bring it up.

Doe sat down at her desk and flipped through Alecto's folder. Her moving picture flashed from the inside cover. Her face changing from serious to a smile.

Her folder was relatively small. It only contained a few pieces of information. Her O.W.L. and N.E.W.T exam results, apparition license, and a few warning for underage magic use was all it contained.

There wasn't really anything Doe hadn't known. She had never been arrested and before Regulus' list had never been accused of anything worse than messing with a first year.

She spent most of the day going through the Death Eater sightings seeing if any of them had ever reported seeing her. It was a very time-consuming task, and only made it out of there when Sirius forced her to leave.

It was about eight and the ministry was clearing out. Only a few people were still here. Doe left the atrium quickly,and apparated straight into her apartment.

Remus was sitting in one of the armchairs, reading a large book. He looked up when she got there.

" There you are, I was beginning to think I'd have to come drag you out" he said.

She came over and sat down on his lap, " Sorry, I just was buried in records today" she said leaning down to kiss him.

" Thats okay" he said shifting so that she was against his chest,

" What are you reading?" she asked looking at the book he had in his hands.

" It's called 'An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms'" Remus said reading the title.

" Is it any good?" Doe asked burying herself closer to him.

" It's quite good actually" he said placing his chin on top of her head.

She leaned closer against him and closed her eyes slightly. It was strange how safe she felt when Remus was around.

" How was work?" Remus asked me quietly.

Doe opened her eyes, " Odd. Moody put up all these pictures of suspected Death Eaters and there were some people I've never even heard of, names like Travers, Greyback, Wilkes"

" Greyback?" Remus asked. He stiffened slightly.

" What's wrong?" Doe asked him.

Remus' mouth was pulled into a tight line, " Fenir Greyback was the werewolf who bit me"

She turned to look at him quickly, " What?"

Remus nodded, " When I was four, he and my father got into a disagreement. He claimed my father offended him, so he bit me as payback"

Her hand flew to her mouth. She wondered how anyone could have attacked a child so young.

" Thats horrible" she managed to say.

Remus nodded, " Fenir is about vicious as they come. He enjoys being a werewolf. He attacks when he isn't even transformed"

Doe gasped slightly.

" I know" Remus said, " it's disgusting"

She didn't know what to say to that. She took Remus' hand in her own and turned it over, letting her fingers trace the lines of his.

" What are you thinking about?" Doe asked him.

His fingers laced with hers.

" Nothing important" he assured me. His face looked tired. Like his own thoughts were exhausting him.

Doe leaned around so she was facing him and kissed him passionately, determined to make him feel better.

He kissed her back, letting his hands move to her waist.

He moved his lips to her neck and she let her head fall back. He pulled her face back to his, and her hands found the hem of his shirt, breaking the kiss long enough for her to pull it over his head. She shrugged off her auror robes and Remus' hands moved quickly to unbutton my shirt, discarding it quickly.

" Let's move this to the bedroom" Doe whispered in his ear.

Remus grinned widely and had her up out of the chair in one quick movement.


	76. 76 Never the Same

Never the Same:

" Meadowes, bring this to Dumbledore" Moody said thrusting a small package into her hand.

Doe eyed the brown paper wrapped package carefully, " At Hogwarts?" she asked.

Moody raised an eyebrow, " Unless you can think of somewhere else the headmaster would be" he said roughly.

Doe nodded, understanding that Moody was not in the mood to chat.

".. and bring Black!" Moody called as Doe left the office.

Doe walked over to where Sirius was sitting. He was flipping through his Antonin Dolohov folder with a strange curiosity. His eyebrows furrowed together.

" Up for an adventure?" Doe asked sitting on the edge of his desk.

He looked up from the file, " Your idea of an adventure is a trip to Borgin and Burkes" he said.

Doe frowned, " Fine, I guess I'll go back to Hogwarts alone then" she said hopping off the desk.

Sirius eyes snapped upward, " Wait Doe, hold on I'm coming" he said jumping up.

She grinned, " I knew you couldn't resist a trip back to your old stomping ground"

" Why are we going?" Sirius asked opening the door to the auror office.

Doe followed him down the hallway, " Bringing something to Dumbledore"

Sirius nodded, " So should we apparate into Hogwarts?" he asked.

" Sirius I have told you this a hundred times, you can't apparate into Hogwarts" Doe told him shaking her head.

" Well how do you propose we get there then?" Sirius asked, his arms crossed " I don't think the Hogwarts Express is on stand by"

Doe rolled her eyes at him, " We can apparate into Hogsmeade".

Sirius frowned at her, obviously annoyed he hadn't thought of that.

Sirius and Doe left the atrium and both disapparated.

Doe must not have been concentrating as well as she should, because instead of landing on her feet on the street in front of Honeydukes like she had intended, she ended up falling sideways against the dumpster.

She stood up, brushing the dirt off of her robes.

" Nice landing" Sirius said with a grin, he had landed perfectly.

" Be quiet" she said as she walked down the path.

Hogsmeade looked exactly as it had when they went there. Nestled in the valley next to Hogwarts, it was the perfect magical town.

The early october air blew by and Doe smiled at the familiar memories.

" You know" Sirius said looking around at the village, " I remember being here like it was yesterday"

Doe nodded, " I know what you mean".

Doe had difficulty processing that it had been two years since she was in Hogsmeade in October.

They climbed the sloping path up to the castle, reminiscing about their favorite Hogsmeade memories.

They only stopped when they got to the castle's gated entrance.

" I've really missed this place" Doe said looking up at the castle.

Sirius' glance fell to the Whomping Willow, which was to their right.

" Funny, I don't miss that" he said darkly looking at the tree, " not my favorite tree that one"

" Mine either" Doe said remembering it's vicious tendencies and the night she had followed Severus into it.

They approached the gate and saw Argus Filch's crooked angry face leering at them from the other side.

" What are you doing here?" he asked angrily, scowling at Sirius.

Filch had despised Sirius when he was at school, something that he had obviously not forgotten in the last two years.

" We're delivering something to Dumbledore" Doe told him.

Filch bared his yellow teeth, " Show me your bare left arms".

That had obviously been one of Dumbledore's added precautions. Something he had devised to ensure the people entering the castle weren't Death Eaters.

Sirius and Doe lifted their sleeves and showed Filch their bare left arms. He scrutinized them for several seconds before he opened the gate.

Sirius flashed Filch a wide smile, and watched as he scowled and picked up Mrs. Norris, leaving them.

Doe walked into the castle, passing the now empty Great Hall.

Momentarily, she was able to forget everything.

Being inside Hogwarts safe walls, everything could disappear. There was no war, there was no discrimination. The most important you could worry about at Hogwarts was whether or not Gryffindor would win the house cup or whether you would fail the History of Magic test.

Sirius was walking behind her, looking as thrilled to be back inside the castle as Doe was.

" We did a lot here" he said fondly.

" We really did" Doe said as they walked through the halls to Dumbledore's office.

" Now I know I am old and my brain is going any day now" a voice from behind them called, " But I'm sure you two graduated"

Sirius and Doe turned to see Professor Weasley behind them in the hallway.

" Professor Weasley" Doe said smiling, " how are you?"

He smiled, " I'm great, Meadowes. What about you? And you Black?"

" I'm good" Sirius said with a nonchalant smile.

" What are you doing here?" Professor Weasley asked.

" Moody sent us, auror job" Sirius told him.

Professor Weasley smiled, " Ah, yes. I forgot you two are aurors now. Congrats, by the way"

" Thank you" Doe told him happily.

" Don't let me keep you" Professor Weasley said, " I've got a class to teach"

Professor Weasley strode off, leaving Sirius and Doe in the hallway.

They kept walking and approached the entrance to Dumbledore's office. The large Gargoyle statue stood unmoving.

" Do you know how to get in?" Doe asked Sirius.

He shook his head, " I've always been dragged in by McGonagall"

Sirius took out his wand and poked the statue with it. It did nothing.

" Worth a shot" Sirius said shrugging.

The Gargoyle moved slightly and Dumbledore walked down the staircase. Doe stepped back so she wasn't blocking his path.

" Mr. Black, Ms. Meadowes" Professor Dumbledore said, " To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Doe took the package out of her robes and handed it to him, " Professor Moody wanted me to give you this to you"

Professor Dumbledore took it, " Ah, I see and Alastor wanted to make sure it was guarded carefully, well thank you" he smiled at both of them.

A small bell rang out and soon the hallway began filling with students, all dressed in their robes.

Dumbledore waved goodbye to them and headed to the opposite direction.

" Sirius Black?" A blonde, 7th year by the look of her, hufflepuff called to Sirius, she had her hands on her hips.

Sirius looked at her with mild curiosity, his expression suggested he didn't know who she was.

" Melanie" the girl said, her expression growing angry, " Melanie McMillian"

The name didn't seem to spark any recognition for him. He looked at her blankly.

" You don't remember me? We shagged" She said venomously.

Sirius' offered her a weak smile, " Sorry, that doesn't really narrow it down"

The girl blinked angrily and stomped off.

Sirius turned to her, a grin practically falling off of his face, " Oops"

" You, Sirius Black, are a pig" she told him.

He shook his head, " I, Sirius Black, am a legend"


	77. 77 One, Two Losses

One, Two Losses:

" I'll be back tomorrow " Doe promised Remus.

He shook his head, " Take your time, I'll be fine"

They were standing in their living room.

Doe frowned at him. Tonight was the full moon, but tomorrow was Petunia's wedding and she had promised Lily that she would go with her, so they were staying in a little inn in the country. She felt horrible leaving Remus alone, but she had promised Lily she would go with her.

" Are you sure?" she asked him, her hands were placed on his shoulders holding him in front of her.

Remus nodded, " Sirius will be there, I will be fine".

" You promise me?" Doe asked, " I expect to find you in exactly the same condition I left you" she said wrapping her arms around his neck.

" I'll be even better" He promised.

Doe shook her head, " Impossible"

Remus rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss her. She pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss.

" Am I interrupting something?" Sirius asked with a grin as he apparated into the living room.

Doe let go of Remus, " Yes, you were actually"

" You have truly impeccable timing, Padfoot" Remus said sarcastically.

" Payback for all those years of you walking in on me, Moony" Sirius said plopping onto the couch.

" We shared a room, Sirius" Remus pointed out.

Sirius shrugged, " What did you expect me to do? Not bring girls back?" he said with a laugh.

" As thrilling as this conversation is" she said with a smile, " I'm going to go. Be careful tonight you too"

Remus nodded and she cast one last glance at them before apparating to Lily's house in Godric's Hollow.

Doe walked to her front door and knocked lightly.

James opened the door, " There you are, Meadowes, Come in"

Doe shook her head, " James what if I was a Death Eater?"

James grinned, " Well if you were one you wouldn't have just said that. I think you're spending too much time with Moody"

He opened the door open wider so that she could come in.

Doe followed him inside. James sat down in one of their squashy armchairs.

" Lily's upstairs, she'll be down in a minute" he told her.

Doe sat down on the couch opposite of him. She loved being in their house. It was so cozy. It's the type of house she would have loved to grow up in.

She noticed one of the framed pictures on the coffee table, nestled between a picture of Mr. & Mrs. Potter, and Lily with her parents, was one of James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Marlene and Doe.

" I love this picture" Doe told him. It had been taken one of the days they were out on the grounds at Hogwarts.

" I love it too" James said smiling fondly at it, " it just screams family, you know?"

" So sentimental, Prongs" Doe said with a small smile.

James grinned again, " Well with friends like you guys"

" Yes, we do seem to have great friends, don't we?" Doe said.

" Considering we're the only people we can trust, I consider us lucky" James agreed.

She was about to tell him she agreed, when Lily came down the stairs, bag in hand.

" Okay, I am all ready" she said happily. She walked over to James and kissed him quickly.

" I will be back soon okay?" She told him.

James nodded, " Be careful, I love you Lily Potter" and kissed her forehead.

" I love you too, James" she said and pulled him to her closer.

Doe smiled at them. Lily and James loved each other so much. It was the kind of love that was written about in books and songs. It was simply wonderful to watch.

" You ready?" Lily asked.

Doe nodded quickly, " Yup"

Lily waved once more to James and they left her house. They were apparating to the train station. Lily had insisted on taking the train. She said it would only set Petunia off to arrive there in any magical way.

So they apparated to the train station, bought their tickets, and found seats in a small compartment of the muggle train.

The whole way there, all Doe could think about as she watched night fall through the window was the full moon. It made her anxious.

" You worried about Remus?" Lily asked.

She nodded sheepishly, " I'm always worried"

Lily smiled and wrapped an arm around her, " It'll be okay, he's with Sirius. He's fine"

" I know that" Doe said quickly, " Let's talk about something else though"

Lily looked at her with her large green eyes, obviously trying to read her.

" Are your parents excited that Petunia's getting married?" Doe asked her.

She sighed, " They are, but I don't think that they like Vernon very much"

" You can't blame them, I don't like Vermin Dursley either" she told her.

Lily laughed at their childish nickname for her future brother-in-law, " I know, it's just when my parents first met James, they adored him, so Petunia isn't happy that they don't love Vernon the same way"

" That's not your fault Lily" Doe told her, " Petunia can't fault you for being with someone your parents like"

Lily shrugged, " Knowing Petunia, she will"

The train sped closer to the little village where the wedding was taking place. Doe could see Lily getting more anxious, the closer the train got.

When it did stop, Lily and Doe got out and made our way to the little Inn that Petunia's guests were staying at.

" This is cute" Lily said as they opened the door to the little rose covered inn.

" Very" she said surprised.

When they walked into the lobby. Lily instantly spotted her parents and Petunia.

" Mom! Dad! Tuney!" She said running over to them. Lily's parents greeted her happily but Petunia's smile fell from her face when she saw Lily.

" What is she doing here?" Petunia demanded of her parents, " I didn't invite her"

" Well Petunia, we gave Lily the invitation, we thought you would want her here" Mrs. Evans said quickly.

" Well I don't" Petunia snapped.

" You didn't invite me?" Lily asked. Her face fell and she looked inexplicably hurt.

" No I didn't, I don't want you here" Petunia snapped, " You'll ruin the wedding with all of your nonsense!"

" No, Tuney, I won't I just want to celebrate with you" Lily implored.

" Well I don't want you here, and it's my wedding" Petunia said angrily.

" I'm your sister!" Lily said fiercely.

Petunia scoffed, " You are no sister of mine. You are a freak. Why don't you go home to your freak husband! I will not have you here ruining my special day" she shouted.

" Petunia!" Mr. Evans shouted.

Lily's eyes filled with tears and she tried to wipe them quickly.

" Fine, Petunia. I'll go" Lily said softly. Lily's parents tried to stop her but she just shook her head and walked back towards Doe.

Doe pulled Lily into a hug. She knew how much fighting with Petunia upset her. No matter how foul Petunia treated her, Lily loved her anyway.

" Are you okay, Lils?" Doe asked her.

She nodded and wiped away the last of her tears, " I'm just going to go home, I think. I miss James" and then she added, " we might as well apparate, who cares what Petunia thinks now"

" You sure you don't want me to go with you?" Doe asked her.

She nodded, " Yeah. Go home and get some sleep"

She hugged her one time, " I'm so sorry Lily, you don't need Petunia. You have me"

She smiled, " I love you, Doe. Thank you"

" Anytime" Doe told her and waved goodbye before disapparating home.

Doe dropped her bag on the floor of the living room, feeling very exhausted and drained. She felt bad for Lily. She couldn't imagine what it was like to fight with a sister like that.

Doe desperately wanted to go to bed. Between worrying about Remus at the cottage and making sure Lily wasn't too upset about what happened, She felt emotionally drained.

She opened the door to her bedroom, figuring she would change into her pajamas and go to bed, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what was waiting for her.

It was Remus.

A fully formed werewolf Remus. Who looked up at her and stood on all four floors on the floor in front of her.

My mind was racing. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be at the cottage with Sirius.

She didn't dare move. She tried to slowly reach down into her boot for her wand, but the small movement seemed to provoke him, because he lunged forward knocking her down.

His snout was inches from her face growling and salivating.

She knew what she had to do but she didn't want too.

" I'm so sorry" she whispered and brought her knee up to his stomach. He yelped and left off of her for a second. She tried to get up and run but she felt him lunge forward again and felt him scrape his claws across her back.

She screamed.

She could feel where his claws had ripped the skin opened and crumpled to the floor. Her wand was several feet away and as the wolf began to corner her, she began to panic.

The door in the next bedroom shot open and Sirius rushed out.

" DOE!" he shouted and instantly phased into Padfoot. She watched him chase the wolf back into the room. The wolf seemed to listen to the dog. Sirius phased back quickly and closed her bedroom door.

" Doe," he said coming over to her quickly, " are you okay?"

" What the hell is he doing here, Sirius?" she asked.

Sirius sighed, " There were Death Eaters at the cottage, we didn't want to risk it. We thought you weren't coming home tonight"

" We were uninvited from the wedding" she said trying to get up.

The scrapes on her back were beginning to sting rather painfully. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

" Shit" Sirius said seeing my ripped shirt, " We have to go to St. Mungos"

She shook her head furiously, " No, there's a bottle of cream in the bathroom, get it" she said slumping over the kitchen table.

" Are you sure?" Sirius asked, his expression suggesting he thought it was far too bad for home remedies.

She nodded, " Just trust me"

Sirius nodded quickly and went into the bathroom coming back out a moment later clutching the jar.

She tried to pull her shirt over her head but stopped, flinching at the pain.

" Siri? I need your help" she told him.

" What do you need?" Sirius asked.

" I can't get my shirt off, it hurts too badly. I need you to help me get it off" she told him.

Sirius stiffened, " Are you sure, Doe?"

" Yes, and hell you've taken off countless girls shirts" she told him, trying to smile lightly.

Sirius sighed, " Leave it to you to crack a joke now of all times".

He came behind her and gently pulled the shirt over her head.

" How bad is it?" she asked him quietly.

" You've got three deep on your upper back" Sirius said.

Doe flinched as the straps of my bra glided over one of them.

" Can you put the cream on them?" she asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded, " Yeah, of course"

He opened the bottle and put a generous amount of the creme on each of the scratches. Instantly they began to hurt her less.

She took a deep breath and opened her bag, pulling out a very loose fitting shirt and slipping it on carefully over her back.

" Are you sure you don't want to go to St. Mungos?" Sirius asked.

She nodded, "Positive"

Doe ran her hands through her hair and sighed, " He is going to be so upset tomorrow"

" Not with you" Sirius pointed out.

" But still" she said shaking my head, " he is going to be upset"

She sat down on the couch in the living room.

" Don't worry about that right now" Sirius said, " Just sleep a little and deal with it in the morning"

Doe laid down on the couch, " Wake me if he phases back" she told Sirius.

" I will" Sirius assured her and let her fall asleep on the couch.

When Doe woke up the next morning on the couch, She remembered everything that happened the night before. She got up quickly. Sirius was gone. He must have already left. She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.

She almost gasped.

Remus was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. He was fully dressed and he wore an expression of absolute loathing.

" How badly are you hurt?" he asked quietly.

" Not badly" she assured him.

He grimaced, " Do not downplay it, Doe. How much pain are you in?"

" None" she lied quickly, " Remus it wasn't that bad"

Remus shook his head, " Wasn't that bad? I attacked you. In our home. I could have killed you easily. Do you realize that if Sirius wasn't here, I probably would have?"

" Remus, It wasn't your fault" she told him, " you weren't supposed to be here, and neither was I"

Remus stood up quickly, " That doesn't make it any better! This is twice I've hurt you now in four years. You think it's okay that I treat you like a chew toy?" he said angrily.

" Remus" Doe said quickly and tried to move towards him. He stopped her.

" No, Doe. I won't do it. I can't let this go on. How long will it be before I kill you? Or bite you? I will not put you in danger anymore" he said.

Doe noticed he had a bag in his hand. A packed bag.

" Where are you going?" Doe demanded.

" I'm not good for you, Doe" He said quickly, " I hurt you. The people who love you shouldn't hurt you"

" Leaving will hurt me" She told him, " this is ridiculous Remus, it was an accident"

" Doe, I can't stay. I am _dangerous._ I've already hurt you, and I won't do it again" Remus said quickly. His face contorted into a mixture of pain and anger.

" Rem" Doe said softly, " I love you, I don't care what you are. You know that."

Remus shook his head, " But I care. I can't love you anymore. It's not fair. It's not right. I'm going to the cottage. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you, Doe. I won't be around to cause anymore damage" he said.

" Remus, no. Don't go" Doe begged.

He shook his head, " I have too. I'm not the one for you" and he cast one last glance at her before apparating. Leaving her alone in the kitchen.

She felt gutted. She wanted to cry.

All of the fights, all of the arguments Remus and Doe had had about his condition, and she never thought it would result in this.

She felt like a part of herself had just left.

She sat down on the floor and brought her knees to her chest, letting herself cry into her hands.


	78. 78 Firewhiskey Heals All Wounds

Firewhiskey Heals All Wounds:

Doe knocked on Sirius' door feeling very silly. She was upset. And knew she wanted to talk to someone. She knew Lily was with James and she didn't want to have to explain what had happened to both of them. And anyway, Lily would want to talk about it. She would want to discuss every detail and Doe didn't want to do that. Sirius was the person she wanted to talk to. She knew it was a Saturday night, and chances were Sirius would have plans already, but she figured it was worth the try.

Doe knocked on his door and was surprised when he answered it in a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt.

" Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, " are the scratches feeling okay?"

The scratches were fine. she, however, was crumbling at the seams. Remus obviously hadn't told Sirius yet. That didn't surprise her. She had only happened this morning.

She held up the bottle of firewhiskey she had just bought.

" I have had a horrible day and could really use someone to talk to" she told him.

Sirius eyed her strangely, " Who are you and what have you done with Meadowes?"

" Come in, Doe" he said opening the door and letting her through.

Doe sat down on Sirius' giant couch and tried to pry the top of the bottle of firewhiskey from the bottle. It wouldn't budge.

Sirius sighed and pulled it out effortlessly, " So, what's got you resorting to firewhiskey? And why isn't Moony surrounding you with concern"

Doe took the bottle back from Sirius and took a sip. It burned her throat.

" He left actually, he doesn't think we should be together anymore" Doe said staring directly in front of her.

Sirius' eyebrows furrowed together, " Moony left you?" he asked in disbelief.

Doe sat with Sirius and told him the whole story, putting a large dent in the bottle of firewhiskey.

" Bloody hell" Sirius said when she finished and took the bottle from her hands and taking a sip.

He handed it back to her, " That's Moony though, he's dramatic about his condition, I'm sure after a few days he'll come to his senses"

" I don't know, Siri. You should have seen him. He was so sure" Doe said sadly and took another sip from the bottle.

Sirius sighed and laid down next to her on the couch, letting her put her head on his shoulder.

" He loves you, Doe. You know that" Sirius said, " he just doesn't want you hurt"

" I know, but this wasn't his fault. I love him anyway, and I'm always going to. I don't understand why he can't accept that" she said sadly.

" It's Moony" Sirius said with a shrug, " You know he never feels like anyone accepts him"

" But I do" Doe said and a tear slid down her face.

" I know that, and you know that. But Remus is so stubborn about this" Sirius said wiping the tear from her cheek.

" He honestly loves you so much, Doe. Imagine how hard this must have been for him to do" Sirius pointed out.

Doe grabbed the firewhiskey bottle and drained its contents.

Unsurprisingly, Sirius had made her feel better. She didn't want to be alone. It was much better being with him, then alone. He also didn't constantly parent her like Lily. Instead he let her complain, and drink until she was so drunk, she was barely coherent. Sirius had been drinking too. Together, they drained two and ½ bottles of firewhiskey.

Doe had never been this drunk before. The whole room felt like it was spinning and before she knew it she had passed out.

Doe woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. She stretched and realized she was in a bed. It was a large bed with black sheets. She sighed. It was Sirius' bed. Last she remembered, she was on the couch. She wondered how she ended up here. The radio in the corner announced that it was going to begin playing a collection of songs by the weird sisters. She got up from the bed and wandered into the living room. Sirius was sitting in one of the armchairs, showered and reading the prophet.

" There you are" Sirius commented, looking up from the paper, " I was starting to think you may have had a little too much to drink last night"

" Oh ha, ha" Doe grumbled sitting down in the chair next to his, clutching her head.

Sirius laughed, " Honestly though, are you okay? I've never seen you get that tossed before"

Doe shrugged, " I don't know"

Then she shook my head, " I'll be fine, I'm just being stupid"

Sirius looked at her with an eyebrow raised, " Doe, you know you're allowed to be upset. You always try to be so tough all the time,, and you don't have to be. Sometimes you can just wallow in self pity a little"

" I don't want to do that" she said shaking her head, " I have too much to do, with work and the Order"

Sirius rolled his eyes, " You've got to help yourself first"

" Well thank you for last night, I needed it" she told him.

Sirius smiled, " That's what best friends are for, Doe"


	79. 79 Distractions

Distractions:

Doe had figured the best way to distract herself was to keep busy. Now that there wasn't anyone waiting for her to come home from work anymore, she stayed much later than she should. She completely threw herself into work for both the auror office and the Order. Her personal life was in shambles, but at least she was doing work to stop Voldemort.

Both Sirius and Lily were worried about her. Lily was much more aggressive about it. She constantly sent her owls making sure she was okay, and had taken to spending much more time around her apartment. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't going to crumble, even though she wouldn't let herself do that.

Sirius, on the other hand, was also concerned and voiced it, but he was different than Lily was. He would let her make her own mistakes, but always be around if she needed help dealing with them later. She didn't like to share them with Sirius, though. It wasn't fair to him. He was just as good of friends with Remus as he was with her. It wasn't fair of her to put any part of it on him.

Mainly, she just immersed herself in learning more about Alecto Carrow. She wanted to begin tailing her and knew Moody wouldn't even consider it until he thought she knew her well enough to do it.

So Doe had thrown herself into every detail of Alecto's past. She knew where she lived, who she spent her time with and what she did for a living. It felt strange sometimes, almost like she knew her life better than she knew her own.

" Meadowes, I hate to interrupt your self-inflicted solitude, but we have an Order meeting" Sirius said walking into her cubicle.

" I know, Let's go" Doe said leaving Alecto's folder in my cubicle drawer and following Sirius into the atrium.

They left the ministry quickly. It was pouring rain outside and they apparated quickly to avoid getting drenched.

It was raining at the Diggle Manor too. Sirius and Doe had to dart to the door and they still ended up soaking wet.

They knocked on the door, freezing from the frigid air and the rain.

James opened the door, " There you are, almost everyone is here" he said. They darted into the house quickly, thankful for the warm air.

" I see you didn't avoid the rain" Lily commented as they walked in.

Doe shook her hair out at her, " Nope"

" Ew, Doe." She said jumping back to avoid the water she had sprayed at her. They both laughed lightly.

" Sorry, we're late" Sirius told James, " but Doe seems hell bent on catching all the Death Eaters on her own"

Dpe shoved Sirius in the arm, " That's not a bad thing"

Sirius rolled his eyes at her and they followed Lily and James over to where they were sitting. Most of the other Order members were here but they were waiting on a few more.

" Where's Peter?" Sirius asked James.

James shrugged, " Who knows, he's never around anymore, maybe he's got himself a girlfriend, but there's Moony"

Doe shouldn't have looked up. She should have heard the name and joined in on the conversation between Lily and Alice about the newest Witch Weekly article.

But she had looked up, and she saw Remus enter. He looked tired. He had pronounced dark circles under his eyes and she noticed a new small scratch under his eye.

For a moment, they made eye contact. His eyes softened. They blinked and looked down, becoming very interested in a loose string on the sleeve of her jumper.

" Hey Prongs, Padfoot" Remus said sitting down on the other side of James.

" Hey Moony" Sirius said patting Remus on the shoulder.

It felt wrong. Very wrong.

Ever since she was fifteen, there had never been a moment where Remus and Doe were together but we didn't acknowledge each other.

" So any idea what this meeting's going to be about?" James asked filling in the uncomfortable silence that had settles over us.

" Moody said something about new targets" Sirius added.

" Let's just hope it's not us" James said with a weak smile.

" The Marauders?" Sirius asked in fake horror, " I'd like to see them try"

James laughed, " That's the spirit"

Peter scampered in through the front door, soaked entirely and sat down at the table. He was the last one to arrive.

Dumbledore stood up, " This will be a short meeting. I just have a few things to discuss with you all. Recently, the Mckinnon family has spoken out publicly their views on Voldemort and this has made them a target. It will on the Order members to make sure no harm comes to them. They have refused to go into hiding, so we must be guard them and make sure no Death Eaters can attack"

Doe looked around the room and realized Marlene wasn't present.

Caradoc Dearborn, who had been seeing Marlene for a few months looked nervous.

" You will be approached with patrolling schedules by either myself or Arabella"

That was all Dumbledore had to tell them. He left early and the rest of the Order members gathered around, engaging in conversation and drawing up schedules to patrol.

" Um, Doe. Can I talk to you for a second?" Lily asked, pulling her away from the conversation she was having with Sirius and Frank.

" Sure, Lily. What's going on?" she asked her.

Lily took a deep breath and smiled, " Okay, so I think I may be pregnant"

Doe squealed with delight, attracting quite a few wayward looks, " Oh, really Lily? Thats wonderful!"

Lily shushed her, " I don't know, I'm just guessing, but I really hope so"

She smiled widely, " This is going to be so great" she said clapping her hands.

Lily grinned, " So, will you come with me tomorrow to St. Mungos to check? I was thinking maybe we could go on your lunch break?"

" I would love too" she told her. A giant smile was plastered across her face. Lily could be pregnant. This was great news.

Lily pulled her into a hug, " Thank you"

" I'm happy to go" she assured her.

" Good" Lily said with a smile and they walked back over to where James and Sirius were standing. They were no having a conversation with Remus and Peter.

" What were you two so giggly about?" Sirius asked her.

Lily only grinned, " Oh, nothing"

" Girl stuff' she told Sirius.

Sirius shook his head, " You two are mad. I'm not even going to try to understand you"

" I should go" Remus said quickly to the other Marauders, " I have an early morning"

" Alright, well bye Moony" James said.

Remus waved goodbye and quickly left Headquarters.

" He left because I came over" Doe said solemnly.

" Probably" Sirius agreed.

Lily smacked him, " You're such an idiot, Black"

" Well I mean, Doe's right" Sirius said holding his hands up.

" Lily, he's right, Lily. Don't worry about it" Doe told her.

Lily shrugged, " Well personally, I think you and Remus are both being a little silly about this, I mean you love each other"

Doe bit her lip, " Actually, you know I should go to. I have some things to get done"

Lily's expression flickered worry, " Do you want me to go with you? I could stay over"

He shook her head, " No, Lily don't worry about. I'll see you tomorrow" she told her.

" I'll walk you out, I'm going too" Peter said.

She waved goodbye to Sirius, Lily and James and followed Peter out of Headquarters.

It was dark, but the raining had stopped.

Peter and Doe walked down the road nearing the spot where they could apparate.

" How have you been Peter?" Doe asked him, " I haven't seen much of you around lately"

Peter shrugged, " Oh, you know...uh work has kept me pretty busy"

" I think James thinks you've got a girlfriend, and that's why you're always out late" she teased him.

Peter laughed loudly, " No, trust me. If I had a girlfriend I would be very open about it"

Doe laughed too, " That's what I told James"

" Well Prongs doesn't listen very well" he added.

" Very true" she agreed.

" You'll be okay getting home then?" Peter asked.

Doe nodded, " Yeah, thanks Peter"

" See you, Doe" he said and apparated with a quick pop. She followed his lead and apparated to her own apartment.

" Oh, I'm going to feel very stupid if I'm not pregnant" Lily said bouncing up and down. They were sitting in one of the rooms in St. Mungos. They were waiting for Healer Bones.

" You usually know your own body pretty well" she told her, so if you think you are, then you probably are"

" I just really hope so" she said, continuing to bounce her leg up and down.

" Have you told James?" she asked her.

She nodded, " Yes. He wanted to come, but he's very busy at work"

" Well you've got me" she said taking her hand and squeezing it.

She smiled. She looked very nervous. She knew how badly she wanted it to be true.

" You know" Lily said, " the last time we were here, it was you who we thought was pregnant"

Doe shuddered violently, " Please, don't remind me" she said quickly.

Lily looked at her with an eyebrow raised, " You miss him, don't you?"

Doe sighed, " Of course I do, Lily"

She missed him everyday. That was the thing about being with someone for as long as she had been with Remus. They become such an important part of your life that when they're no longer in it, something feels off.

" Have you tried going to him?" Lily asked, " you know he loves you, I mean the reason he isn't with you is because he loves you"

She shook her head, " No, I'm not going to force myself on him. He made a decision and I have to respect it"

Lily sighed, " Okay"

The door to room opened and Healer Bones walked in, " Lily Potter, right?" he asked Lily checking her folder.

Lily nodded.

He turned to her, " Hello, Doe"

" Hi Edgar" she beamed at him, " How's Amelia?"

He laughed, " She's a pain in my ass, but she's good"

Doe laughed. He turned back to Lily, " So you want to see if your pregnant right?"

" Yes, I think I am, but I could be wrong" she said.

Healer Bones took out his wand and held it over her stomach. It lit up. A Blue light shining from the end of his wand.

" It's a boy!" he said happily.

Lily's eye widened, " So I am then? I am pregnant?"

Healer Bones smiled widely, " Yup, and you're having a boy"

Lily's hand flew to her mouth and she could hardly contain her stomach.

" A little boy" Doe said happily, " Congrats Lily!"

She pulled her into a hug. Healer Bones left the room, giving them a moment alone.

" I'm having a baby, Doe" Lily said happily.

" I know" She told her, " and you are going to be the best mom ever Lily"

She smiled, " I really hope so"

Doe nodded, " Any boy with parents like you and James is going to grow up to be one amazing kid"

Lily practically skipped out of the room, and as she did, she almost bumped straight into Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

" So as long as you eat regularly and maintain a healthy weight, your baby should be fine" Healer Bones told them.

They both scowled at Lily and Doe before leaving in the elevator.

" She's pregnant too?" Lily said angrily, " I'd hate to see any child of theirs"

" Evil, slimy little git" Doe assured her. They were getting into the elevator when she was stopped.

" Meadowes? What are you doing here?" Moody asked.

She was shocked to find Moody here. He was supposed to be at the Office.

" Oh, nothing. I was here for Lily" Doe told him, " why are you here?"

Moody looked down, " Black had a little incident. I was making sure he was okay"

" Sirius" Doe asked frantically," What happened?"

" He got cornered while delivering something, he's in the room down the hall" Moody said.

Doe didn't wait for him to add anything. She ran to the room where Moody had said he was. The door was open. Sirius was lying on the bed. His shirt open. He had a large wound on his chest, that was secured with a bandage and a young blonde healer was attending to a cut on his arm.

" Doe?" he asked when she came into the room.

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug, " Are you okay?" she demanded.

" Your girlfriend?" the healer asked Sirius, a small smile playing on her lips.

Sirius laughed and shook his head, " My best friend".

" Don't worry," the healer assured her, " It's nothing major, we've got him cleaned up". She threw away the bandage wrappers and left the room.

" You promise you're okay?" Doe asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sirius nodded, " It's nothing, calm down"

" What were you doing here, anyway?" Sirius asked.

Doe frowned, " I can't tell you".

Sirius sat up, " Excuse me? You tell me everything"

" I don't tell you everything" Doe said quietly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows, " Yes you do, we don't keep secrets from each other"

She sighed, " Siri, it's not really my secret to tell"

" Whose is it then?" Sirius asked crossing his arms.

" Lily's" she told him.

" Is this about her being pregnant?" Sirius asked, " because Prongs already told me"

" He told you?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, " Last night, he wasn't sure though"

" Well she definitely is" she told him, " and it's a boy"

Sirius eyes widened, " Wow, I can't believe there's going to be a little Prongs running around"

" I know, it's crazy. Makes you feel old, huh?" she said.

Sirius nodded bleakly, " Very"

" So how exactly do we determine if someone has been put under the imperius curse?" Arthur Weasley asked Dumbledore at the end of the Order Meeting a week later, " because I am still shaky on that"

" They're are many warning signs" Moody answered quickly.

" Yes, all that can be discussed at a later time" Dumbledore said, " because now, I have some good news to deliver"

" I am happy to announce that congratulations are in order to both Lily & James Potter and Frank and Alice Longbottom, both of which are expecting their first child!" Dumbledore said proudly.

Doe clapped with everyone else. While she had known that Lily was pregnant, she didn't know that Alice was.

" I think a celebration is in order" Sirius said loudly, charming a few bottles of Black Cherry oak mead to appear as well as a stack of glasses.

" You look for any excuse to drink, don't you Padfoot?" James asked with a laugh.

" Of course" Sirius said filling his own glass with a liberal amount of mead.

Soon, the Order meeting had turned into a small party. Everyone was gathered around in conversation, with drinks in their hands.

Lily & James, and Alice & Frank were surrounded by well-wishers, and Doe noticed how happy they both seemed.

Sirius was enjoying himself too. He had two glasses of the mead and was stumbling around the party very tipsy. Doe was engaged in a conversation with Slughorn about the potions they used as aurors when he came over and threw his arm around her shoulder and placed a very wet kiss on her cheek.

" Hello Mr. Black" Slughorn said to him, smiling slightly at Sirius' appearance. Sirius kept his arm around her.

" 'Ello Slughorn, how are you?" Sirius asked happily.

" I'm very well" Slughorn told him.

" I think I need to borrow Doe for a moment" Sirius said with a slight slur.

" Go ahead, " Slughorn said, " I need to offer my congratulations to Mrs. Potter anyway"

Sirius led her away from Slughorn and over to the other side of the party.

" What's up Siri?' she asked him.

" Hold on" he said walked over to someone tapping them on the shoulder and bringing them over to them.

It was Remus.

" You two need to talk to each other" Sirius said sternly, " and I need another drink"

Sirius left Remus and Doe standing together, walking back to the drink table.

Remus and Doe were left facing each other in a very uncomfortable situation.

" I'm sorry, he's drunk. I don't know why he did that" she blurted out quickly. She could feel her face reddening as she blushed. She wished she was anywhere but here.

" No, it's fine" Remus said quickly.

It was silent for a minute.

" So, how are you?" Remus asked softly.

She blinked quickly, his question had caught her off guard.

" Fine" she said quietly, " and you?"

He nodded, " I'm fine too"

There was another awkward silence.

" I should go make sure Sirius isn't drowning himself in the Mead or something" she said quickly, giving herself an out.

Remus looked as if he had wanted to say something, but he didn't. He just nodded.

Doe found Sirius half-crouched over the drink cart, obviously drunk.

" Hey, Doe. It's Doe, she's my best friend" he said drunkenly to Caradoc Dearborn.

Caradoc laughed, " I know, I've known her for nine years, Sirius"

Sirius smiled and wrapped his arm around her again. Half of his weight leaning against her. He was very drunk. She needed to bring him home.

" I need to get you home" she told him.

Sirius pouted, " I don't want to go home" he whined drunkenly.

" You have to" she told him.

He frowned, " Where's Prongs? I have to say goodbye"

" Come on, let's find him" she told Sirius leading him over to the couch where Lily and James were sitting with Alice and Frank.

" There's Padfoot" James said to Lily.

" We were wondering where he had gone off to" Lily told her.

" He's tossed" she told them, " I'm going to bring him home"

" Do you need help?" James asked her.

She shook her head, " No, he just wanted to say goodbye to you, I think"

Sirius now was very animatedly playing with her plait.

" Okay, well patronus me if you need help" James said.

" Thank James, be careful getting home okay guys" Doe told them

They both nodded and Doe dragged Sirius out of Headquarters and down the path to apparate.

" Where are we going, Doe?" Sirius asked with a yawn.

" Home" she told him and held onto Sirius so he could side-along apparate.

She apparated quickly into the living room of Sirius large flat, and led Sirius into his bedroom.

He was only half-conscious at this point. She helped him to shrug out of his auror robes and onto his bed.

Doe pulled the blankets over him and was about to leave when she heard him call her name.

" Doe?" he called softly.

" Yeah?" she asked coming over to the edge of his bed. He scrunched up his face and rolled over onto the pillow.

" Nevermind" he said.

A moment later he was snoring. She closed the door to his room and apparated back to her own apartment.


	80. 80 Tis the Season

Tis the Season:

As the Holidays began to come closer, she was faced with the realization that she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Sure, there were places she could go. Lily & James were going to Lily's parents house, and she had made it clear that she would be invited if she wanted to come, but she didn't want to intrude on their family. Peter was spending the night with holiday at his parent's house. She knew Remus would probably be going to his parents as well. Which left both Sirius and Doe without any plans.

" Let's just do something together" Doe told Sirius a few days before Christmas. They were sitting on the floor of his cubicle filling out reports for Moody.

" Like what?" Sirius asked.

"I'll make dinner and we can watch Christmas movies or something festive" Doe told him.

Sirius looked at her suppressing a grin.

" What?" she asked him.

" I'm trying to picture you cooking is all" Sirius said.

" Well I can," she told him, " But if you'd prefer to spend the night at the Lively Portkey, I don't have too"

Sirius shook his head, " No I want to see this"

So after work, Doe dragged Sirius with her to the muggle grocery store near his apartment, to get the supplies she would need. Sirius found the whole experience very amusing.

" What are these?" he asked picking up a box of cheese its off of the shelve. Eliciting some strange looks from the muggles near him.

" They're a muggle snack" Doe told him, " You can try them if you want"

Sirius wrinkled his nose, " No thanks, I'll stick to Pumpkin pasties"

They walked around the store collecting supplies. Every so often Sirius would point to something or pick something up and ask her what it's purpose was.

It was very entertaining. Sirius was fascinated by even the simplest of the muggle inventions.

" Haven't you ever seen some of this before, surely you had a potato peeler in the kitchen?" Doe asked him.

Sirius shook his head, " Our foul house elf Kreacher made all the meals, so I never saw anything".

" What was it like having a house elf?" she asked him as she walked to the registers.

Her dad had had one growing up, but was very against it, so he never got one for them.

" Ours was a foul little git" Sirius said, " Evil little thing, he adored my parents and Regulus, but he hated me. Some aren't so bad, though. Kreacher was just the exception"

" Well he sounds awful" Doe told him, while she paid the muggle cashier for the groceries.

Sirius helped her to carry them out of the store and back to his apartment.

Doe began putting all of the groceries away in his cupboards. Sirius took two bottles of butterbeer out of the fridge and handed one to her.

" Thanks" she told him.

Sirius pulled himself onto the counter and helped her unload the bags.

" You know, I wonder what Peter's been up to lately" Sirius said, " I haven't seen much of him"

" I talked to him about that" Doe told Sirius, "I told him James thought he had a girlfriend"

Sirius laughed, " and what did he say to that?"

She shrugged, " He said he didn't have a girlfriend and that he was just busy at work"

Sirius rolled his eyes, " What could Peter be busy with at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office?"

Doe shoved him in the knee, " Don't belittle his job"

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Since when are you Wormtail's biggest defender?"

" I'm not" she told him pulling herself onto the counter next to him, " I'm just trying to keep you from being a dick"

Sirius grinned, " You've got your work cut out for you then"

Doe rolled her eyes at him, " You and I both know that that's not true"

Sirius simply shrugged. She watched him take another sip of his butterbeer. For the first time she thought she noticed a small crack in Sirius' confident demeanor. She didn't know how to respond to it.

Sirius was the most confident and self assured person she had ever known.

Doe dropped her head on his shoulder, " Well I think you're pretty great"

Sirius laughed, " That's why I keep you around, Beautiful"

Sirius and Doe's plans for Christmas were interrupted by the Order. All of the McKinnons were planning on being at the Mckinnon manor for Christmas and Moody thought that posed a huge threat, so he decided that he needed people to patrol all day. The problem however, was that everyone was spending time with their families. So Moody needed Sirius and Doe to patrol during all of Christmas Day.

They got there early, Sitting underneath the invisibility cloak in the snow outside of the Mckinnon's house.

" Some Christmas huh?" Sirius commented.

Doe frowned, " I was going to make that whole dinner and everything"

Sirius laughed, " I dodged a killing curse with that one"

" It was going to be good" Doe told him.

They heard music playing from inside the Mckinnon house. It seems they had begun to sing carols.

" So that's what a normal family christmas sounds like" Doe said listening to the voices of the mckinnon's.

Sirius shook his head, " I don't think they're any normal families, just the ones that aren't dysfunctional"

" Well, I'd of liked to not have been in the latter" Doe said.

Sirius laughed darkly, " Tell me about it"

He grimaced slightly. She knew firsthand how bad Sirius' family was. They made her mom look like a walk in the park.

" Have you heard from them at all?" Doe asked him.

Sirius shook his head, " To them, I'm the biggest blood traitor there is, they're glad that I am gone"

" Why do you think that blood status matters so much? Why do people care?' she said looking forward.

Sirius shrugged, " Ask the Death Eaters, they seem to know all too well"

" Sirius, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters, those who believe wrongly all have different reasons for doing so" Doe told him.

Sirius didn't say anything.

The light was still pouring out of the house. Their Christmas tree obscured most of their view into their house, but around it Doe could see all of the Mckinnon family happily enjoying each other's company.

There was a noise that sounded like someone was apparating to their left side. Sirius and Doe peered over quickly and notice two cloaked figures approaching the house.

They were Death Eaters, that much was obvious.

Sirius and Doe sat watching them. They approached the house. Sirius pulled the cloak off of them slowly and gestured to for Doe to follow him.

The two Death Eaters hadn't seen them yet. They waited a minute before they jumped out, wands drawn.

The Death Eaters reacted quickly, casting killing curses at them.

Doe tried to stun one of them and darted to the left narrowly missing a killing curse.

Sirius was dueling with the other one. The door to the house opened and all of Marlene's six older brothers came out, wands drawn. The Death Eater in front of Doe was momentarily distracted.

" Stupefy!" Doe shouted pointing her wand at him. He froze instantly stunned. The other Death Eater took one look at him and disapparated.

" Did you just?" Sirius asked staring at the stunned Death Eater in front of her.

Doe reacted instantly. Pointing her wand at the Death Eater and shouting " Petrificus Totales" and performing the full body-bind curse on him, in case he woke earlier than she expected.

Doe walked over to the unconscious Death Eater and took his wand from his hand. She moved it over his face and the mask disappeared like a mist.

The Death Eater was Evan Rosier.

Doe froze, remembering how much she had hated him at school.

" Is that Rosier?" Sirius asked wide eyed.

" What is going on out here!?" Mr. McKinnon asked darting past his sons to where they were.

She took out her wand and conjured her patronus. The Gazelle appeared out of a silvery mist.

" Go to Moody, tell him we've just caught a Death Eater" she ordered it. The gazelle disappeared and Sirius hunched over Rosier's unconscious body.

" You do realize what you just did right?" Sirius told her, " You've just caught your first Death Eater"

The fear that had been bubbling inside her chest settled for a moment while she let what Sirius had just said sink in.

Doe had caught a death eater.

There was a loud pop and Moody appeared on the McKinnon's front lawn, flanked by Dumbledore.

He stopped and looked at the Death Eater on the floor in front of them.

Moody eyed Sirius and strangely, " How'd you do this?" he asked quickly.

" Doe did it" Sirius pointing to her.

Moody turned to her eyebrow raised, " How'd you do it"

" I just stunned him" Doe said quickly, " there were two and Sirius and I were dueling them and they just kept sending killing curses so I stunned this one and the other one disapparated"

Moody looked at the way the Death Eater's body was sticking together, " Full body bind curse?" he asked.

She nodded.

Moody surveyed the body carefully.

" Alastor, I suggest you take him to the Azkaban, I'll alert the Minister" Dumbledore told him quickly.

Moody nodded, " Thank you Albus"

Dumbledore nodded to him and disapparated.

Moody turned back to the Mckinnons who were all huddled together on the front porch.

" Black" Moody said waving Sirius over to him. Sirius came to where Moody was standing.

" Get all the McKinnons inside and then make sure that they hae protect enchantments on the house and the estate."

Sirius nodded and jogged over quickly to where the Mckinnons were standing. Doe saw Marlene was comforted by his presence.

" Meadowes, you're coming with me to Azkaban" Moody said taking out his wand.

" Azkaban?" Doe asked, " the prison?"

Moody nodded and waved his wand, watching the Rosiers body lift to the ground.

" You've caught your first Death Eater" Moody pointed out, " It's time you learned what happens next"

Moody offered her his arm, obviously to side apparate. She took it, and a moment later felt their bodies tug and be sucked up into the air.

They landed on a rocky path. The Death Eaters body was on the ground in front of them.

Doe stood up and looked at what was surrounding them. They appeared to be on an island. They were completely surrounded on every side by the murky sea and crisp fog. But the surroundings were not what was commanding attention. Across a small bridge stood a towering building. It was shaped like a triangle, with only three walls. But it rose into the air so high Doe couldn't see the top.

It was cold. And depressing. Doe felt incredibly sad.

" Be careful" Moody warned raising his wand to levitate the Death Eaters body as they walked, "there are dementors everywhere?"

" Dementors?" Doe asked.

Moody nodded, " The soul-sucking demons, they guard this place"

Doe tried not to think too much about the Dementors as they walked towards the front of the Prison.

Dumbledore and the Minister were waiting for them there, with two Wizards in uniform who were the Azkaban guards.

" Follow us inside" One of them said opening the door.

" Well bring him up to the one of the cells while you fill out the paperwork" the other said.

The two guards each took an arm of the Death Eater and wrestled him down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

" And I presume you are the auror who caught him?" the minister asked.

Doe nodded.

" Well what a curious way to spend Christmas Evening" the minister said slightly humorously.

He waved his wand and conjured chairs for them all to sit down. A scrawny young wizard came into the building and sat down beside him.

" This is Barty Crouch, head of Department of Magical Cooperation" the minister said, " he'll be taking your statement"

A new type of rage filled Doe inside as she looked at Barty Crouch. He was the one who had fired Remus and made it impossible for him to get a ministry job, due to his condition. Doe's eyes narrowed.

Moody noticed.

" You alright there?" he asked.

Doe nodded, not breaking eye contact with Barty Crouch. Who was also noticing her intense gaze.

" Im sorry, have we met before?" Barty asked.

Doe shook her head, " Not directly, but I think you know a friend of mine, Remus Lupin?" she said icily.

Barty Crouch's face grew pale, " Oh yes I did"

He seemed to now understand her irritated disposition. Moody, however, did not. He stared at her with his eyebrows raised.

" Well yes why don't we start the statement" Barty suggested quickly.

" To begin, What is your full name?" he asked.

" Dorcas Euphegenia Meadowes" she told him.

" Barty" the minister said, " this is Auberon Meadowes' daughter"

Barty nodded, " Ah, yes. I knew your father, good man"

" I'm aware" she said curtly. Moody snickered slightly behind her, but disguised it as a cough.

" And could you please tell us what happened?" Barty asked, his voice slightly shaky.

She told them exactly what happened, leaving out the part where Sirius and she were on an Order mission.

" And what were you and Black doing at the McKinnon residence?" Barty asked.

" We were invited for Christmas" Doe lied effortlessly. Moody nodded slightly.

Barty wrote that down on the parchment too, " Okay Ms. Meadowes I think that that is all for tonight. You may go. We will be contacting you Monday at work. You will need to testify at Mr. Rosier's trial"

Doe nodded and got up to leave, Moody did as well.

" Thank you for your help" the minister said extending his hand. She shook it.

" My pleasure, Sir" she told him.

Barty reached out to shake her hand too, but after seeing her gaze dropped it quickly.

" Er, thank you" he said stiffly.

Doe eyed him carefully and left the building.

She could hear Moody behind her, " Did Barty Crouch kill your Owl or something?" he asked.

She shook her head, " He's awful. He fired Remus for being a werewolf" she said to Moody.

Saying Remus' name out loud reminded her of how much she missed him. She tried to repress the feelings.

" He's a discriminatory bigoted git" Doe said fiery.

Moody laughed, " Well you certainly put him in his place tonight. Thats good, he deserves to be knocked down a few pegs"

Doe took a deep breath.

" You did a good job today, Meadowes. Nice save with the 'invitation' excuse. I'll see you in the office Monday and we discuss the trial" Moody said and with one last glance he disapparated.

Doe did too, back to her apartment, where Sirius was waiting to find out what had happened.


	81. 81 New Respect

New Respect:

Returning to work after Christmas made Doe's life even more complicated than it already was. Catching one of the first Death Eaters had earned her a new respect that she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with. Senior aurors had been coming up to her and congratulating her on the job she had done. It made her slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't that she was ungrateful, She just didn't think that she had done anything that any one of them couldn't have done in the situation.

Moody was by far the worst. His giddy at her capture of Rosier was evident. His mood had even dissipated slightly. He had spent the last few days coaching her on how to deal with testifying at the trail. It had made her rather nervous.

" Look it will be fine" Moody told her, " the only thing that won't be true is that you were there at Marlene's invitation"

It still terrified her that she would be in front of the entire wizarding court, telling them what had happened.

At her insistence, Moody had agreed to let Sirius come. She knew it would be easier for her if a familiar face was there amongst all the ministry witches and wizards. Moody seemed to agree.

So on the morning of the trial, Sirius Moody and Doe got into the elevator and took it down to the courtrooms.

They were in courtroom eight today. It was full when they got there. It seemed as if the entire ministry was crowded in the room. Almost every seat was filled. Doe noticed that there were a few photographers and writers from the daily prophet sitting near the front as well. Doe recognized Rita Skeeter sitting in the front row. Her quill already out. She eyed the three of them carefully as they walked into the room.

" Why are there so many people?" Doe asked Moody quietly.

" It's the first major Death Eater trial" Moody said, " people are curious"

" Thats a lot of bloody people" Sirius commented.

Moody led them over to the seats in front row. They were on the side of the high chair that minister sat at.

Doe looked up at the collection of wizards in the seats above them.

" It'll be fine, Dorcas" Sirius assured her.

" It won't be for you if you call me that again" she said darkly.

Sirius grinned, " See, don't you feel better"

" I'm angrier" she told him.

He laughed, " I find the angrier you are, the more calm you are"

" That is twisted logic Black" Moody snapped from beside him.

Sirius shrugged, " Would you rather her go up there shredding the edge of her robes with nerves?"

" Meadowes is capable of handling herself" Moody told him, " she needs to learn"

" It's the first time she's ever done this" Sirius pointed out.

" I'm right here" she reminded them.

They both stopped bickering. The minister had stood.

" Hit wizards, if you would please bring in the accused" the minister said. There was a shuffle as the door opened and two wizards brought in Evan Rosier.

He looked like hell. He was disheveled. He was wearing an Azkaban prison jumpsuit and his face was unwashed and unshaven. The two hit wizards slammed him into the chair and magicked the chains to wrap themselves around him.

A large cylindrical cage that resembled an owl cage fell from the ceiling and covered the chair. Small spikes were pointing inward towards Rosier.

The minister raised his wand, " Let the record show that we are gathered here in Courtroom 8 on this day the 13th of January to try Evan Rosier for his crimes committed and his allegiance to You-Know-Who"

Evan made a strangled noise from the cage that sounded a lot like hissing.

" I would like to now call the arresting auror Dorcas Meadowes to the front" the minister said.

Moody gave her a slight shove and she stood up walking to the small podium to the left of the cage where Rosier sat. She stood in front of it.

" Ms. Meadowes" the minister, " Please describe the night in which you arrested Mr. Rosier"

Doe took a deep breath and began telling the entire courtroom what had happened. Every so often Rosier would make a noise or shout " rubbish!" from beside her. She did her best to ignore him.

When she finished the minister nodded, " And in your professional opinion Ms. Meadowes, is Mr. Rosier a Death Eater?"

She nodded slightly, " Yes, Minister. I am fully confident that he is one. I would not be surprised if he was branded with the Dark Mark"

The minister nodded to the Hit Wizards at the door and they walked over to Evan lifting his left sleeve.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, as Rosier's left arm revealed a fully formed Dark Mark.

Rosier pulled his arm away quickly, scowling at the crowd.

Moody motioned for her to come sit back down. She followed his instructions.

" You will get your Meadowes!" Rosier hissed from the cage, " count on that!"

She ignored his comment.

" Now," the minister said clearly, ignoring Rosier's shouting " All those in favor of releasing Evan Rosier and clearing him of all charges"

A few hands in the room were raised. Moody whispered something harsh under his breath.

" And all those in favor of conviction?" the minister asked.

Hundreds of hands were raised. Rosier screamed from the cage.

" Evan Rosier you are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban for crimes against the wizarding community"

Rosier screamed again and the Hit wizards dragged him from the chair still in chains.

" Dirty Mudbloods and Blood Traitors! You will all fall at the hands of the Dark Lord!" Rosier shouted as they dragged him through the door.

Everyone began clearing out of the courtrooms. Sirius and Doe got up from our seats and followed Moody.

" See it wasn't awful" Sirius said to Doe.

Doe nodded, but she was still shaken up by Rosiers comment.

" Dorcas" Rita said stopping her by placing a hand on her shoulder as she left, " care to give a comment for the prophet"

She shook her head, " No thanks, Rita"

" Oh come on" she pressed, her long pink painted nails digging into my shoulder and her voice full of false sincerity, " one teensy little comment for an old school pal?"

Doe didn't ever remember being friends with Rita Skeeter. She had always thought she was a little pompous and self centered.

" No comment" Moody said hoarsely, pulling her out of Rita's gasp.

Sirius followed them out of the room, leaving Rita scowling.

" Never liked that one, she cornered me the other day trying to get me to talk about Dumbledore" Moody said as we followed him back to the office.

" Well congratulations Meadowes" Moody said when they walked back into the auror office, " you've just made yourself an enemy to Death Eaters. You're now a target"

" Goody" Doe said under her breath sitting down in her cubicle.

" You know you're famous now, Doe" James said at breakfast a few days later.

" Excuse me?" Doe asked taking a bite of the pancakes Lily had made.

She was sitting at the table with Lily and Sirius.

" Yeah look, you're in the prophet" James said handing her a copy of the prophet. Doe looked at the front page.

There was a picture of Rosier being dragged out of the courtroom, struggling against the Hit Wizards.

Underneath the picture was an article.

EVAN ROSIER CONVICTED AS DEATH HEATER AT HANDS OF YOUNG AUROR

BY RITA SKEETER

On the 13th of January, former Slytherin Evan Rosier was convicted of being a Death Eater and sentenced to a life sentence in Azkaban for crimes against the Wizard community. Rosier was arrested on Christmas Day by Dorcas Meadowes, an auror of barely 19. The former Gryffindor testified in front of the entire wizarding gamot, confederation of wizards, and Magical law enforcement department that she had seen Rosier committing unspeakable attacks and had been engaged with him in a duel with fellow auror, and attractive Gryffindor alum Sirius Black at the Mckinnon home on Christmas Day, before announcing to the entire court that his left arm should be checked for the Dark Mark. Overall, the statement seemed very rehearsed and frankly quite made up. Why the ministry took the word of someone who has only been in the auror office for under a year is unclear. However it can be inferred that the the ministry's judicial process is certainly lacking if it is based off of the words on an unstable teenager.

Doe rolled her eyes as she placed the prophet on the table, " Unstable teenager am I?"

Sirius took the paper from her and crumpled it, " Ignore her, she's just pissy she didn't get the comment she wanted"

" Isn't it ridiculous how she painted you as someone who was too immature to handle the situation" Lily said shaking her head, " If anything your young age should be impressive"

Doe shrugged, " Rita Skeeter's exaggerated writing is the least of my worries. She can tell people _I'm_ a Death Eater if it pleases her, it doesn't change the fact that I'm not"

" Here, Here" James said happily.

" You're in there too" Doe told Sirius.

He grinned, " I saw, I however was described as the attractive Gryffindor alum, so I'm not complaining"

Doe rolled her eyes, " You get attractive and I get unstable"

Sirius grinned, " Well can you blame her? I am uncontrollably gorgeous"

" Simmer down, Padfoot" James said from the other side of the table.

" Are you saying I'm not pretty James?" Sirius asked jokingly.

" Yes I think I am" James added.

Sirius frowned, " Not funny, Prongs. My beauty should be revered"

James rolled his eyes this time, " How do you stand working with him?" he asked her.

She shrugged, " I don't know"

Sirius smiled, " She loves it. Don't let her fool you"

" Yes, Sirius. You are the reason I even dain to show up to the ministry" she said sarcastically.

" And don't you forget it" Sirius said with a wink.

Lily stood up from the table. She had a small bump now, she was about two months pregnant. It was so strange to see.

Their plan for today was to go shopping in Muggle London and buy Lily some new maternity clothes.

" You ready?" Lily asked her. She was stroking her stomach in an admiring kind of way.

" Definitely" Doe told her.

Lily bent down and kissed James quickly.

" Take care of her, Doe" James warned her.

Doe nodded, " Nothing will happen to Lilyflower on my watch" she assured him.

Doe took Lily to the living room and grabbed a small handful of floo powder. Seeing as Lily was pregnant she couldn't apparate.

" Leaky Cauldron" Lily said dropping the powder in the fireplace and disappearing behind the green flames.

Doe followed her and landed in the cold fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron.

Lily and Doe waved a greeting to Tom before they left the tavern and headed down the muggle streets looking for some of the maternity shops Lily had heard about from her mom. There was one only a few blocks away.

The shop was small but it was full of maternity clothes and trinkets for babies. Lily and Doe went to the clothes and began scanning through the racks.

" You know Lily you're so tiny you could probably just buy larger regular clothes" Doe told her.

She shook her red hair fiercely, " I want Maternity clothes, it's all part of the experience"

" Okay, maternity clothes it is" Doe told her taking out a green sundress and handing it to her.

" Have you thought of any names yet?" she asked her.

Lily shrugged, " We haven't found anything we really love yet".

" You will, maybe you should try a name book?" she told her.

She flipped through the rack of clothes, " I should get one" she agreed.

" Enough about me" Lily said quickly, " what about you? How have you been doing, you know besides catching Death Eaters?"

" Doing with what?" she asked her.

Lily put her hand on her hip, " You know what, the absence of a certain messy haired marauder?"

" Oh" she said realizing she meant Remus, " I mean I'm dealing with it"

Lily frowned, " Have you heard from him at all?"

" No" Doe said flipping through the rack quickly avoiding her gaze. She nervously tucked the piece of hair she had missed when putting her hair up, and tucked it behind her ear.

Lily sighed, " You promise me you're okay, right?" she said.

Doe nodded, " Lily, I'm fine. I'm not the kind of girl to fall apart and stop living my life over a guy" she assured her.

She bit her lip, " Okay, I just worry about you. You're my best friend"

She hugged her quickly, " I love you, Lily"

She smiled and held up a few pieces of clothing, " I'm going to go try these on"

" Okay, I'll wait here" Doe told her sitting down in one of the squishy armchairs outside of the dressing room.

Lily ended up liking all of it and bought the pieces. Doe carried one of the bags for her and they walked back into muggle london, stopping at a coffee shop so that Doe could get a latte and Lily could get some herbal tea.

They were walking down the street with their drinks when they saw a familiar blonde head coming down the street.

" Doe Meadowes?" Landon Mckinnon asked, a wide smile on his face.

" Landon, Hi!" Doe said as he pulled me into a hug.

" Hi, Lily" he said after they broke apart. Lily smiled at him.

" I've been wanting to run into you" Landon said to her, " I never got to properly thank you for what you did at Christmas"

Doe shook her head, " Don't worry about it, that's my job"

Landon shook his head, " That was for the Order, you didn't have to do it. It was really noble of you, and very Gryffindor"

Doe smiled, " Well thank you"

Landon's eyes fell on the bags in her hands, " You're not pregnant are you?" he asked quickly.

Doe shook her head with a slight laugh, " No, not me. Lily" she said gesturing to Lily who smiled slightly, her hand on her stomach.

" Oh, right." Landon said blinking quickly, " I should've known. You don't look like it"

She laughed, " I'm going to take that as a compliment"

" You should, you look great" Landon told her.

He pouted slightly, " Actually, Doe. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to dinner with me sometime?"

Doe blinked abruptly. She hadn't been expecting that. Landon was Marlene's older brother. He had seen her grow up her whole life. He had witnessed every awkward phase and every pimple.

She bit her lip. He was cute, and nice too. She wanted to like him. But her insides roared the word no. She still couldn't stop thinking about Remus. It was far too soon to even consider thinking about someone else.

" Oh, Landon. I just ended things with someone and it's still a little early to start seeing someone else. I'm sorry" she said apologetically.

Landon shook his head, " No. I understand. Maybe in a few months, anyway it was good seeing you" he said and placed a kiss on her cheek.

" You as well, Lily" he said and then passed both of them on the street.

" That boy is crushed" Lily commented when he was far enough away.

Doe frowned, " I didn't mean to disappoint him"

" Why'd you say no?" Lily asked.

" It's too soon, Lily" she said quietly, " I still miss him too much"

Lily wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, " Come one Doe, let's go distract ourselves and buy something frivolous"


	82. 82 Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences:

Doe was finally tailing Alecto. It felt like she had been waiting months for this moment. No doubt it was her capture of Rosier that had finally convinced Moody she was capable of doing this. For this morning he had given her the okay. She stood behind the wall of Diagon Alley, watching Alecto Carrow take a turn down knockturn alley. She clutched Moody's invisibility cloak in her hand, ready to use it at any moment. Her wand was clasped in her other hand.

She walked quietly into Knockturn alley, keeping a good distance between Alecto and herself. She didn't want her to know she was there.

Doe followed her deeper into the alley.

She looked like she was about to enter Borgin & Burkes. She was so absorbed in watching her, that Doe hadn't noticed someone watching her.

" Meadowes, you really shouldn't be in such a dodgy place alone" a voice behind her said. She spun around quickly.

Behind her was Rabastan Lestrange. She reacted quickly shuddering. She felt someone else behind her grab her wand out of her hand. Mulciber had snatched it from her hand.

Mulciber gripped her arms behind her. She panicked, trying to kick him.

" Such a pretty face" Rabastan said stroking her cheek with his hand. She pulled away from him quickly. Her eyes full of pure loathing.

" _Meven_!" Rabastan said uttering the anti-apparition spell.

" Bring her over here" Rabastan order Mulciber. Mulciber followed Rabastan, dragging her into an abandoned store, while she thrashed and kicked furiously.

Mulciber dropped her on the floor and locked the door with magic. She got to her feet instantly. She was wandless and couldn't apparate, so there wasn't much she could do

Rabastan shook his head coming towards her, " Now, now Doe. Why so angry?" he said, one of his hands lacing the back of her neck. His wand was clasped firmly in his other hand.

Doe wanted to pull away, but his wand was deterring her. She noticed his left sleeve was rolled up, revealing the Dark Mark.

" Yes, impressive isn't it?" Rabastan said soothingly, taking her hand and placing it on the tattoo, " you can almost feel the power"

Doe stiffened as he moved closer to her. His hand still on her neck.

He pushed his left arm onto her mouth, pressing it against her lips. She shivered violently.

" You know, Doe. I've always found you so endearing, despite the little matter of your filthy blood" he whispered in her ear, " maybe you and I can forget about the blood status for a little while"

Doe didn't move. She was paralyzed with fear. She had always known Rabastan was foul, but this wasn't something she thought he was capable of.

Rabastan grinned, her discomfort making him even more pleased " Yes it's something about this little brave Gryffindor thing you've got that just _fascinates_ me" he said pressing himself against her.

Her chest began to rise and fall as he pushed his wand closer to her throat. He could kill her easily, and it made her furious. Of all the people she could die at the hands of, Rabastan Lestrange would be the last one she picked.

Rabastan smiled and pulled her face towards his, kissing her roughly.

He pushed her against the wall still kissing her. His wand was practically stabbing her in the throat and the other hand kept her firmly pushed against the wall.

Doe was disgusted. He opened her mouth trying to grant himself greater access. She shoved him off of her. She couldn't take it.

Rabastan's face flickered with anger and he pulled her against him again, kissing her harder this time. His hand was squeezing her wrist so hard it felt like he was going to break it.

She brought her knee up between his legs.

Furious, he snapped her wrist.

She screamed and clutched at it. Intense hot pain rippled through her left wrist. It had to be broken.

Rabastan snarled, " You are so such a stupid girl" he said, " you always make the wrong enemies" he said, his hand collided with her cheek.

She recoiled back from him.

Rabastan's lip quivered with anger and he moved on her, knocking her to the ground. This time he held her down with his knees, his wand pressed so hard into her throat she could barely breathe.

He moved back to her mouth kissing her hard. Doe turned her head pointedly away from him, her entire body shaking in fear and disgust as she felt his free hand reach under her shirt. She closed her eyes as she felt him tear it off her. She couldn't believe what was happening, and she couldn't stop herself from violently shaking.

As Rabastan moved his mouth to her chest she felt his free hand reaching for the waistband of her jeans. That was all it took, she acted without thinking, taking her free hand and grabbing him by face and shoved him off of her.

As she did, she felt his wand push into her throat so hard, she had to grasp to breathe.

Rabastan got up from the floor, enraged.

" You should be thrilled that someone like I would even look at you" he snapped at her, practically drooling with anger.

" I would never let you anywhere near me" Doe snapped breathily, clutching her wrist tightly and rubbing her throat, " let alone touch me"

Rabastan's face contorted with rage, " You insolent little bitch" he snapped.

He raised his wand and pointed it at her, " _Crucio!_ "

Doe had never before felt the effects of the cruciatus curse. It was the first time she had ever felt the effect it could have. Pain rippled through every part of her body. She fell to the floor.

It was like being stabbed on every part of your body while being set on fire. Her screams echoed through the shop.

A small smile came to Rabastan's face, " Good, you deserve a little pain. You didn't honestly think you would be able to imprison one of the Dark Lord's followers and get away with it did you?"

" He deserves to rot there" she snapped at Rabastan, still doubled over on the floor in pain.

" Crucio!" he shouted again.

Once again the pain filled her again. It felt like it was getting worse. She couldn't contain the screams.

Rabastan smiled again, " I have to admit, it gives me great satisfaction watching you suffer like this"

" You're vile" she managed to get out between screams. Her teeth clenched together tightly.

Rabastan scowled and raised his wand again.

" _Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!_ "

She screamed again as she felt the pain plague her body again. It was the most unimaginable torture she had ever endured. She would have given anything for it to end. Even death, had to be preferable to this.

She didn't know how long she was there, every time the effects of one torture curse ended, Rabastan cast another one. It had to have been twenty times. She couldn't feel her body anymore. She was crumpled on the floor. Her face lying against the cold stone. She felt like she was dying. She couldn't move.

" I think I've had enough" Rabastan said angrily, " Let's go Mulciber. The Dark Lord is waiting"

Rabastan leaned over Doe and kissed her, " See you, Dollface" he said and headed to leave.

Mulciber made a face, "Wait".

He raised his wand at her body on the floor, " Crucio!" He said casting his own torture curse at her.

The pain filled her body again, and she screamed loudly as her body thrashed at the intense pain that filled every part of her.

Mulciber approached her and kicked her full force in the ribs, " That was for Evan" he snapped.

He dropped her wand on the floor several feet away from her. Both he and Rabastan left without casting another look at her.

Doe couldn't move. Even the lightest movements filled her body with pain. She could see her wand discarded in front of her. She reached for it. The movement caused an intense pain to rip through her. She pushed further, trying to ignore it and get to her wand. Tears filled her eyes and she clasped the wooden handle of her wand.

She could barely lift it. She silently cast a spell and her patronus appeared.

" Get Sirius" she managed to whisper. The silvery gazelle disappeared and her arm fell back to the floor. She felt like she was going to die. The pain was filling every part of her and as she looked at the floor, she thought about how she had managed to get herself in this situation. She was so foolish.

She was so lost in the pain that she didn't notice the door open and see Sirius dart inside.

She didn't see him until he was on his knees next to her.

"Doe" he said horrified, looking at her crumpled on the floor, her shirt missing and her throat black and blue.

She couldn't move and she couldn't speak. Her eyes were barely open. Her lips were trembling, as her eyes filled with tears.

Sirius looked horrified as he picked her in his arms.

He apparated quickly and she recognized the white walls of St. Mungos. People were talking around her. She didn't hear any of it. She was too consumed by the pain. Her eyes slipped closed and everything disappeared.

When her eyes finally opened, they felt very heavy. But they weren't the first thing she felt. The first thing she felt was the pain. It still hurt so much. It was like the pain was still radiating in her bones. She wanted to scream, but she didn't think she could muster the energy.

" Sirius" a frantic female voice cried, " Sirius, she's opening her eyes"

She looked up and saw the faces of Lily and Sirius peering over her bed.

" Oh, Doe are you okay?" Lily asked quickly.

Doe tried to speak, her throat was still very swollen so it took her a moment before she was able to form the words.

" I'm in pain" She managed to say blinking quickly. Her voice sounded wrong, muffled by how swollen her throat was.

Sirius stood next to her, holding her hand and looking relieved.

" You're alive" Sirius said desperately, " You scared the hell out of all of us"

" Sorry" Doe croaked quietly.

" Don't apologize" Lily said quickly, " we were so worried"

Doe tried to sit up and lean against her pillows and instantly regretted it. Pain coursed through her whole body. She bit her lip to stop from crying out.

" Do you remember what happened?" Sirius asked.

Doe nodded, " I was attacked by Rabastan"

" Lestrange?" Lily asked in shock.

She nodded, " And Mulciber"

Sirius' mouth pulled into a tight line. He was white with anger, "We figured, when we saw what happened"

" Sirius" Lily said quickly, " I should probably go tell him that she's okay and she's awake".

Sirius nodded, " You go, I'll stay"

Lily looked at her with a small smile and disappeared from from the room.

" Tell who I'm okay?" Doe asked.

Sirius looked to the door, " You'll see"

Doe was confused but Sirius didn't look like he was in the mood to elaborate.

" How long was I out?" she asked Sirius.

" Four days" Sirius told her. He looked very tense.

His eyes filled with the most intense anger she had ever seen and he looked at her with a pathetic gaze, " Doe. Rabastan, did he…" Sirius trailed off clearly unable to finish his sentence.

Doe bit her lip as her eyes filled slightly with tears, " No. He tried but.." she stopped herself.

Sirius let out the breath he had been holding and kissed the top of her head.

A moment later, the door opened and Lily walked in, behind her was a man.

It took Doe a second to recognize who it was.

Remus stood in the doorway of the St. Mungos room. His hair was a mess and his eyes were red and puffy. Tears were sliding down his cheeks. He looked like hell. And he was staring at her, crying. She didn't know what to say.

" You're okay" he said and smiled. He ran his hands through his hair and let another tear fall from his eyes before wiped them, " they didn't know if you were going to wake up"

She stared at him wide eyed.

" What are you doing here?" she asked him. She wanted to scream it, but her throat made it sound soft and croaky.

Lily grabbed Sirius' arm and led him out of the room, giving Remus and Doe privacy.

He stared at her as if she had three heads, " You were attacked, they thought you were going to die, why wouldn't I be here?"

" Well I'm not dead, so you don't have to feel obligated to stay" She managed to say, biting her lower lip to keep from crying.

Remus looked like she had slapped him, " I'm not here out of obligation" he said quietly.

" Then why are you here?" she asked. Her throat was dry and she didn't want to start crying.

" Because I love you, Doe" Remus said firmly, " I love you, and there isn't anywhere I needed to be more than right here"

Remus moved towards her bed and stood next to her, taking her hand. Tears were starting to roll down his face again.

" I should have never left" he said quickly, " I thought I was protecting you"

Doe started to cry. She couldn't help it.

Remus took his other hand and wiped the tears from her face.

" Doe, I am so sorry. I swear to you, I will never leave you again. If you take me back, I promise I won't let anyone hurt you ever again"

Doe began to cry, she had been bottling everything in for so long, it all came out at once.

" Doe" Remus said softly, bringing her head to his chest.

"I'm sorry" Doe bawled, " I just...this has been so hard and I missed you so much…and I just want you to come home"

"Of course" he whispered to her, "whatever you want"

Remus sighed and brought his lips to her forehead kissing her.

" I love you so much, you had no idea how scared I was" he said squeezing her hand.

" I love you too" she told him.

Remus's expression softened and he pulled a chair next to her bed, still holding her hand tightly.

She looked to her other hand, where her wrist was wrapped up.

" They told me that you endured so many torture curses, that it was unlikely you would recover" Remus said quietly, " they said that that much amount of torture results in either Death or insanity"

His lip quivered.

" Well neither happened" she said quietly a small smile on her lips.

" I couldn't lose you, I would never have forgiven myself" Remus said.

The door opened and Sirius strode in, followed by James and Moody.

" You alright?" Moody asked, sitting in the other seat.

Doe nodded, " Just a little uncomfortable"

" Fifteen torture curses in an hour, I'd say that would make you a little uncomfortable" he agreed.

He told her everything she had missed at work and in the Order, telling her that there was a warrant out for the arrest of both Mulciber and Rabastan for attack on an auror.

He was interrupted by Healer Bones who had come in to tell her 'how lucky she was to be alive'.

He told her that the pain wouldn't last too much longer, but they kept her in there for another week anyway. Sirius, Lily, and Remus never left her bedside, besides work. It turned out in her absence Remus had procured a job in the Magical recordkeeping office.

He only left when he had to work. Besides that, he was with her every minute.

It was a Saturday afternoon when Healer Bones finally decided she was strong enough to go home.

Remus had helped her home, where she was pleased to see, his things had returned too.

" It's good to be back" Remus said smiling at her.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him towards her, kissing him with several months worth of missing him. His hands found their way to her hips and he kept her pulled close to him.

She pushed him towards the bedroom, but he stopped her.

" Healer Bones told you not to overexert yourself"' he reminded her.

Doe frowned, " So we'll be very gentle" she suggested with a tiny smile.

Doe pulled Remus back towards her and this time he didn't fight it. They fumbled around until they made their way to the bed. She grabbed at Remus' shirt pulling it off effortlessly. She reached up and kissed one of the scars that was closest to her on his chest. Remus closed his eyes and then pulled her face back up to his and kissed her intently.

" I love you" Remus said quickly.

" Remus, I love you too" Doe told him.

He stroked her face, " I am so sorry if I hurt you being gone"

" That's over, don't worry about it" Doe told him.

Remus smiled softly and pulled her back towards him.


	83. 83 The McKinnons

McKinnons:

Doe had a new appreciation for the victim of Death Eater's now. It had always been of the utmost importance of her to catch Death Eaters, but now whenever the familiar dose of pain coursed through her body when she moved a certain way, it reignited the flame of anger she had towards them.

She went back to work after only two days of being home from St. Mungos.

Remus wanted her to take more time off, fearing she would overwork herself. But she had already missed too much. She had to get back in thick of things.

So she returned to work and resumed trying to catch Alecto, though now Moody was forcing her to do it mostly from her desk. He didn't want to risk another attack so soon.

Sirius and Doe were working late at the ministry one night studying the files on Antoin and Alecto when Moody's massive Ox shaped patronus burst into the hallway between their two cubicles.

" Come to the McKinnon residence, now" it ordered and disappeared quickly.

Doe looked up to Sirius, " You don't thinks it's anything bad do you?" she asked him quickly.

Sirius frowned and grabbed his wand, " I hope not"

They got up quickly and made their way to the atrium. It was practically empty. Most of the other employees had left.

They disapparated and landed on the front steps of the McKinnon house.

Members of the Order of the Phoenix were scattered all about. Many of them looked outwardly upset. Emmeline Vance was crying into her handkerchief. Doe didn't see James, Lily, Peter or Remus. She turned to Sirius quickly.

Moody strode out of the house, " Black, Meadowes get in here!" he called over Emmeline's loud sobbing.

Sirius and Doe followed him into the house.

" Moody what's going on?" she demanded quickly.

" Why are we all here?" Sirius asked.

Moody didn't answer he just led them into the sitting room.

The moment they entered it, Doe wished she hadn't. She felt her knees buckle underneath her, and the tears begin to fall down her face.

All nine of the McKinnons laid frozen in the living room. All of them dead.

Doe looked to where Marlene was. Her beautiful face covered by her golden hair. She still clutched her wand in her hand. She was half lying against Landon's body.

" Voldemort got to them" Moody said quickly.

Doe started to cry harder. Sirius' face was pale and his mouth quivered slightly as he pulled her into a hug.

Marlene was dead. She couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible. She had been my friend for 9 years.

She would never see her mischievous grin or her watch her flip her hair ever again.

Dpe was paralyzed with sadness. Her entire family was dead.

She couldn't look anymore. She let go of Sirius and left the house quickly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Remus & James and Lily were walking up the path to the house as she was leaving.

" Doe?" James asked.

" What's wrong?" Remus asked quickly.

Doe wiped her eyes quickly and tried to stop her hiccupping, " It's Marlene" she managed to get out.

" What happened to Marlene?" Lily asked quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

" SSSShe's gone" she said and tears poured down her face again.

Remus pulled her against him quickly, and over his shoulder, She saw James do the same to Lily, who had been overcome with tears.

" We need to get back to Headquarters" Moody snapped at the cluster of Order members outside of the house, " the ministry is on their way"

Emmeline Vance roared with tears again, a pale faced Caradoc Dearborn led her to the front of the house and apparated.

" Come on" Remus said taking her hand. He apparated quickly and they landed on the steps of the Diggle Manor.

The entire Order crowded into the dining room of Diggle Manor. Doe felt as though she was in a sort of trance. She sat down in the chair between Lily and Remus and felt the heavy weight of loss.

The rest of the Order gathered around the table as well, anxiously awaiting Dumbledore's appearance.

Sirius came through the door next and took a seat down next to James.

He threw her a worried glance.

The doors of Diggle Manor opened again and Dumbledore came in, with McGonagall at his heels.

He looked exceptionally upset. He stood in front of all of them with his head bowed.

" Tonight we have suffered a great loss" he said sadly, " the McKinnon family was a great friend and ally to us all"

Lily's lip quivered. She dabbed at her eyes quickly.

Dumbledore launched into a speech about the dangers that Voldemort posed and how even in these difficult times, they must remain united.

The entire room was silent. No one dared speak. The feeling of loss still hung in the air.

The McKinnons funeral was quite a large one a few days later. There were hundreds of witches and wizards assembled there to mourn the loss. It was horrible. Doe saw the coffin that was marked for Marlene and the sight of it made me want to cringe. She spent most of the funeral sitting silently, with tears streaming down my face. Lily was a mess. She couldn't stop bawling loudly. And eventually, James had to take her out of there.

Peter also seemed quite upset. He was extremely pale the entire time.

" Are you okay, Peter?" Doe whispered to him.

He nodded quickly, and stood facing forward.

They were going to have to get used to funerals. She feared there would be more of them before this was over.


	84. 84 Pieces & Prophecies

Pieces and Prophecies:

" This is becoming outrageous Dumbledore!" Mundungus shouted at Dumbledore a few nights later at the Order meeting, " at this rate every Order member will dead by June!"

The atmosphere was very tense. Dumbledore had just informed the Order that their fellow member Benjy Fenwick had been found dead.

It was Moody who had found him. Benjy had gotten into a very public argument in the ministry with Yaxley. He accused him of being a Death Eater in front of half of the Department of Law Enforcement. Several Days later, the Dark Mark was hovering above his house.

They hadn't found a body. They had only found pieces. He was tortured and killed in a brutal way.

" The work you do for the Order is extremely important" Dumbledore said, " and as unfortunate as it is, death will sometimes be the result"

" So you want us to put our bleeding necks on the line?" Mundungus demanded loudly.

" You knew what you were getting yourself into Dung" Doe said to him firmly from the other side of the table, " there's a bloody war out there. You have just as much a risk of dying out there"

Mundungus eyed her darkly, " Well I don't fancy increasing my chances" he snapped.

" No one is forcing you to be here," Moody said harshly from beside Dumbledore, " feel free to leave"

Mundungus leaned back in his chair looking like he would rather do anything else besides getting up and leaving.

" Voldemort has much more support than we do" Dumbledore said, " we are fighting a many headed monster"

" Well how do we know if were targets?" Caradoc asked quickly.

Dumbledore sighed, " I'm afraid we are all targets, Mr. Dearborn. But it is safe to say not all of our identities are on the radar of the Death Eaters. I feel that anyone with any identifying features are in the most danger, that is to say Muggleborns, Ministry officials, aurors, and 'blood traitors' are those who are obvious targets"

Beside her, Lily's eyes widened and she grew pale. Sirius and James exchanged a look, and then looked to her.

She knew what they were all thinking.

Lily was muggleborn. James was a blood traitor. Doe was an auror. And Sirius was both.

They were all targets.

Doe took Lily's hand to comfort her. She smiled slightly.

" I know that this is hard" Dumbledore said, " but your support and cooperation is the only thing that-"

His words were cut off.

There was a great bang and the house seemed to shake.

The chandelier above the table shook violently, and a few of the crystals fell of it and shattered on the table.

The house shook again and a few of the windows all shattered at the same time. Everyone got to their feet and took out their wands.

Beside her, Remus tightened and gripped his wand tightly.

" What the devil?" Deadleus Diggle asked moving towards the door.

There was an explosion and the door was ripped off it's hinges. The entire entry way to the house was blown away, exposing it to the night.

They all moved towards it at once.

The large chunk of house that had been disappeared now revealed that terrifying scene that had broken out on the lawn.

There were 20 masked people brandishing wands at the opening to it.

Death Eaters.

Everyone moved very quickly then. Those who hadn't drawn their wands, did so.

They spread out slightly, so that everyone moved towards a Death Eater, determined to cover all of their bases.

A few of them laughed.

" So this is the little Order of the Phoenix?" One of them called loudly.

" What a pathetic bunch" another laughed.

" Now now my followers let us not dawdle" said a cold high pitched voice. The group of Death Eaters cleared slightly and a figure emerged.

He was pale and cloaked. He reminded her so much of death that she shuddered.

It was Voldemort.

Several people gasped. Mundungus disapparated. So did Emmeline.

Dumbledore pushed past those of us closest to the entrance and stood in front.

" It was foolish of you to appear tonight Tom" Dumbledore said clearly.

Voldemort raised his wand and so did Dumbledore. They shot spells at each other and everyone moved very quickly.

The Death Eaters began to move towards them. Shooting spells at all of them. It turned into a duel very quickly.

The death eater closest to Doe shot a red spell at her. She ducked, missing it narrowly. She shot a stunning spell at them and they dodged it as well. Beside Doe, James, Sirius and Remus were all dueling with their own death eater.

Lily and Alice were tag teaming one of them together.

" Doe look out" Frank said pushing her out of the way in enough time to dodge a killing curse from the Death Eater in front of me.

Frank shot a stunning spell at him.

" Thanks" Doe told Frank quickly. He nodded and they both shot jinxes at the Death Eater in front of them.

" Go" Frank ordered, " help James I've got this one".

She turned to where James was. He was attempting to duel with two Death Eaters at once.

Doe ran to his side and joined him, dueling with the one to his left.

A third Death Eater came to where they were. Doe pulled James down in just enough time to avoid a killing curse fired at his chest.

" Thanks" James said quickly, helping her back to her feet and avoid another spell.

Remus was battling with a Death Eater to her right, and it terrified her to watch him duel. She was plagued with anxiety. Doe shot another spell at the Death Eater in front of her. This one hit him in the chest and a wound opened on his forehead.

He disapparated quickly.

Dumbledore raised his wand and a large silvery mist seemed to fly at all of the Death Eaters.

They stumbled backward and instantly all began to disapparate.

A moment later the lawn was empty.

" What in the name of Merlin was that?" Slughorn asked, his hand covering a wound on the side of his face.

James and Doe walked over to where Sirius, Remus and Lily were.

She pulled Remus into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

James pulled Lily into a tight embrace a well.

" You alright?" I asked him.

Remus nodded, and tucked some of her hair behind her ear kissing her quickly on the forehead.

" You?" he asked, tracing a small cut under her eye with his thumb.

She nodded, " Fine, thanks to Frank"

Sirius was sporting a split lip. He was anxiously talking to James in a hushed whisper.

He looked up at Doe and nodded. He was fine.

" You're all right?" Lily asked coming over to Doe.

" " Yes. You?" she asked her.

She nodded.

The rest of the Order members were cleaning themselves off. It seems there had been no fatal injuries. However, Peter stood in the back looking quite shaken.

" You alright Wormtail?" Sirius asked him.

Peter looked nervous, " Yes. I'm fine"

They turned to Dumbledore, who was standing on the edge the lawn, looking quite puzzled.

" It seems" he said firmly, " that the location of our Headquarters has been revealed"

The attack on Headquarters had caused everyone in the Order to become quite tense. They hadn't had a meeting since. Moody had told Sirius and Doe in his office that Dumbledore was worried and was desperately trying to find a safehouse for Headquarters with enchantments that would be suitable to protect it.

A few days after the duel at Diggle Manor, Lily and James had informed Sirius, Peter, Remus and I that they needed to speak with them about something important. They had invited them over to their house for lunch that Saturday. So around noon, Remus and Doe got ready to leave for the Potter home.

" What do you think they want to tell us?" Remus asked me as he put on his coat and handed Doe hers.

Doe shrugged, " I dunno. I mean they're already married and having a baby, what else could they have"

Remus laughed, " Maybe they're having twins"

" Merlin can you imagine?" she asked with a smile, " two James' running around"

Remus smiled widely, " Imagine the havoc they would reek at Hogwarts"

Doe grinned, " I'm pretty sure any child of a marauder will reek havoc at Hogwarts" she told him, " it's genetic"

Remus raised his eyebrow, " Of any marauder, Hmm does a child of mine fall into this category as well?"

Doe nodded, " A genius they would be, but would also inherit your talent for trouble"

" Or maybe they would inherit all of their mother's good sense" he said stroking her hand.

She looked at his face. He had begun to blush slightly. She pulled him towards her and kissed him quickly.

" What was that for?" he asked.

She shook her head, " Nothing".

Remus smiled and took her hand. They disapparated together to Godric's Hollow.

Lily and James cottage stood out on the street. It was now lined on either side of the door with flowers.

They walked over to the door and knocked. James answered it quickly.

" Remus, Doe. Come in" he said ushering them inside.

Sirius and Peter were already laying laxily on the couch and Lily had just come out of the kitchen wearing a shirt that showed how her growing stomach. She carried a tray with teacups and placed it on the coffee table.

" Doe" Lily said happily. She hugged her quickly. Remus and Doe sat down on the couch.

" Good" Sirius said, " the happy couple is here, so what do you guys have to say?"

Lily took a deep breath and took James hand.

They sat down together.

" We asked you guys to come here" Lily began, " because we have something very important to tell you"

She looked down and then looked to James.

" You tell them" she begged of him.

It dawned on Doe that the news they had to tell might not have been good.

" Well, you see Dumbledore came to us the other night" James said. He adjusted his glasses.

" He told us that there was a prophecy made about us, and that it was about You-Know-Who as well"

" A prophecy?" Peter asked.

James nodded, " And Dumbledore reckons that it's made us a target for You-Know-Who"

Doe gasped.

" A target, why?" Sirius asked quickly.

James shrugged, " Dumbledore won't tell us, he's tried to convince us to go into hiding, but Lily and I won't do it"

" But James," Doe said, " what if he tries to hurt you two?"

James shook his head, " I won't let him"

" Neither will I" Sirius said loudly.

" Nor I" Remus added.

" I won't either" Doe said firmly.

" We just wanted to let you know" Lily said, " because we wanted to give you the option to stay away from us, and protect yourselves"

" What?" Sirius roared just as Remus said " Lily, that's ludicrous"

" Lily, we never stay away from you" Doe told her.

Lily's eyes welled up with tears, " I don't want any of you to get hurt for us, I don't want you made targets"

" We don't care about that" Sirius said firmly, " we're already all targets anyway"

" Not like this" Lily said shaking her head.

Sirius stared at her firmly, " Lily, I am the biggest blood traitor of them all, my brother is a death eater. I'm already a target"

" And I've already been attacked, I'm marked with or without you" Doe told her.

" I am werewolf," Remus reminded her, " I'm a target to both sides"

" I'm in the Order" Peter said quietly, his eyes darting around.

Lily dabbed at her eyes again, " You're all too good to us" she said quietly.

Doe pulled her into a hug.

" No amount of dark wizards are going to stop us from loving you two" Sirius told her.

James smiled fondly at his best friend.

As she gazed around at the five other people in the room, she felt an upsurge of affection for all of them.


	85. 85 The Slithering Sides of Severus Snape

The Slithering Sides of Severus Snape:

Doe was sitting in the auror office late one afternoon when a sliver of parchment landed on her desk.

Doe opened it gingerly with her wand. Moody had made her wary of everything.

The parchment only had a scribbled letter on it. She read it quickly.

There will be an Order meeting tonight at 713 Wishmore St. 8:00 p.m.

Memorize this .

\- Dumbledore

As soon as she had read it, the parchment set itself on fire and vanished. The Fidelius Charm. Dumbledore had found a new way to ensure that the location of the Order's headquarters remained a secret. Dumbledore must have made himself secret keeper.

She could see the address clearly in her head, but every time she tried to think about it directly. She couldn't. It was a very rare and tricky bit of magic.

Sirius stuck his head into my cubicle, " Did you get?"

She nodded, not wanting Sirius to finish that sentence in fear that someone was listening.

He sat down on the edge of her desk.

" Do you know where it is?" Sirius asked her.

She shook her head, " You?"

Sirius also shook his head.

" Can you believe what Lily and James told us?" Doe asked him.

" No, I can't" Sirius said, " But I couldn't believe that they thought we would stop talking to them"

" I know" she said shaking her head, " As if we would ever let that come between us"

Sirius crossed his arms, " I would die first"

" So would I" Doe agreed.

She thought back to when they all pledged themselves to Lily and James and realized one of them was not quite as adamant about it.

" Sirius, can I ask you something" she said turning to face him.

" You know you can" Sirius said kicking his feet up onto the desk.

" You don't think" Doe started and then changed her mind, " Did you notice Peter was acting a little oddly when we talked about that? About rather dying then stopping seeing each other. You don't think he disagrees do you?"

Sirius looked extremely shocked, " Wormtail? No way" he said shaking his head firmly, " Peter's just a little fearful that's all. He values our friendship just as much as you or I"

" And you're sure?" Doe asked him.

Sirius nodded, " Doe, I'm sure"

Doe turned back to the file on her desk. She knew Sirius well enough to know that he wouldn't say it to her unless he was positive.

" Do you reckon Rabastan was there the other night?" Sirius asked, " At Headquarters"

She shuddered, " I hope not, I wouldn't want to be that close to him again"

Sirius teeth clamped shut, " I would, I'd like to kill him"

" No you don't" she told him firmly, " You're not the kind of person who desires killing"

Sirius mumbled something under his breath but saw her expression and quieted instantly.

" You're right" he told her quickly.

" There's enough death and evil in the world right now without me having to worry about you trying to do someone in, okay?" she told him.

Sirius grinned, " Worry about me often do you?"

She rolled her eyes, " Oh yes Sirius as soon as I've finished fantasizing about you"

Sirius laughed, but Moody who had been passing her cubicle at that exact moment, turned to them and said " I wonder what Lupin would make of that"

Sirius roared laughter.

" I was kidding!" Doe called after Moody.

Moody just grumbled something and walked into his office.

" I hate you" she said to Sirius.

Sirius grinned, " Whatever you say, Meadowes"

They stayed at the ministry until just before the order meeting.

Sirius and Doe left the ministry and apparatted to the address that they had been given. It was an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. It was very small and dilapidated and appeared to be the only house on the street.

" Were sure this is the right place?" Sirius asked.

Doe nodded, " This is it".

They walked forward towards the house and tried to walk through the small front gate leading to the front door.

They instantly were shot back, as if there was some sort of shield charm.

" What the bloody hell?" Sirius said helping her to her feet and rubbing the spot on his head which had smacked against the pavement.

" You're bleeding" she said pointing my wand to the small stream of blood on his forehead.

" Tortego" she said and waved her wand. The blood vanished.

Sirius ran his hand over the spot on his forehead, " Thanks"

The door to the house opened and Slughorn appeared in the doorframe.

" Ah, Alastor it's Ms. Meadowes and Mr. Black" he called into the house. Moody walked into the doorframe with James at his side.

Moody walked straight through the shield no problem and held his wand up to them. His wand pointed at her and James' pointed at Sirius.

" What?" Moody asked, " Is your patronus?"

" A gazelle" she told him.

Moody lowered his wand.

" What do we call ourselves?" James asked Sirius.

Sirius grinned, " Besides brilliant and unreasonably attractive? That would be the Marauders"

James lowered his wand too, a smile plastered across his face.

" Its them" James told Moody.

" Come in then, hurry" Moody growled. Sirius, James and Doe followed him into the house.

Though from the outside, the house seemed to be a one or two bedroom shack, the inside had been charmed to resemble an eight bedroom victorian farm house, complete with a parlor and lavish dining room, where the rest of the Order was already seated around a long table.

Doe sat down in the empty seat next to Remus.

" So I see you got the full inquisition?" Remus said.

Doe nodded, " Yeah, Sirius and I got knocked backward with that shield charm"

Remus flinched, " It got me too, But Moody was even more persistent, I had detail my full moon transformation before he decided it was me"

She blinked in confusion, " Why so many extra precautions?"

" I'm betting it's because of the attack, Dumbledore wants us as safe as possible" Remus said.

She frowned, " Unfortunately, this wont protect us all the time"

Remus frowned at her words, " But it's start"

She offered him a small smile. Remus always tried to look for the silver lining. He could sometimes be the eternal optimist.

She placed her hand on his knee and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

" Lupin" Professor Slughorn said to him from across the table, " see me after the meeting, I've got something to show you"

" Sure, Professor" Remus said to him.

Slughorn nodded and turned back to Professor McGonagall.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore had walked into the room with Hagrid and sat down at the table.

Everyone fell silent, their conversations dying out as they turned their attention to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore turned to the group, " I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. I know the attack a couple of weeks ago may have frightened many of you, but it pleases me to see most of you have returned anyway"

Doe noticed Mundungus was not present.

" Tonight's meeting will be to discuss a few things but I think the most important thing we have to discuss is the addition of a new member. I hope you will all welcome him with open arms and open minds" Dumbledore said firmly and waved his wand. The door to his right opened, and someone strode out.

As soon as Doe saw who it was, she tensed in anger.

Severus Snape strode out of the room and sat down in the empty seat next to Dumbledore.

His presence was met with an uproar.

" Snivellus!?" James demanded.

" NO" Sirius roared.

" He's a death eater!" Caradoc had said through clenched teeth.

Doe was furious. Anger was flowing through her. Remus seemed to notice because he took her hand and gripped it tightly.

Doe had given Severus all the chances she could. He was a Death Eater. He had tried to kill her the year before. There was no way he had switched sides.

From her other side Lily had pursed her lips, and Peter had gone stark white.

" Quiet" Dumbledore said loudly, " Severus Snape was a death eater but has switched to our side at great personal risk and is to be treated with the respect that you would offer any other Order member"

" Switched sides my arse" James said angrily, " he's always been obsessed with the Dark Arts"

" He'll probably try to kill us all as soon as your back is turned" Sirius implored.

Severus sneered, " Don't flatter yourself, Black. I don't have the time to waste on you"

" I said enough" Dumbledore said sternly, " Severus Snape is on our side and he is now a part of the Order of the Phoenix. Moving on, -"

Dumbledore had gone on to discuss other Order business, but Doe was barely listening. She hadn't taken her eyes off of Snape. At one point, he caught her glance and returned an equally as terrifying stare.

However, she thought she noticed him throw a few furtive glances at Lily and her stomach.

When the meeting ended, Dumbledore left quickly.

Remus went to talk to Professor Slughorn, and James & Sirius were engaged in a heated conversation, about Snape no doubt.

Doe stood at the end of the table, a slight distance away, still eyeing Snape reproachfully.

He noticed and made his way over to her.

" Have you got something to say _Dorcas_? Because if you do, I suggest you say it" Snape snapped.

Doe looked very pointedly at his left arm, where she knew the Dark Mark was burned into his skin.

" I haven't got anything to say to you" she said crossing her arms.

Snape smirked, " You know, you seem a tad put out" he said icily.

" Put out? No. Enraged perhaps, I don't know how you managed to convince Dumbledore of your lies, but I wont be fooled so easily" Doe told him angrily.

Snape made a face and his expression became much colder, " And here I thought all of you Gryffindors had the noblest of intentions"

" I haven't forgotten that you tried to kill me" Doe snapped at him.

Snape pursed his lips, " You assaulted me if you recall"

" Assaulted?" Doe said in disbelief, " Is that what you call it? Because how I remember it I exposed you as a Death Eater and you become murderous"

Snape rolled his eyes, " If I had any intention of killing you, you wouldn't be standing here right now"

" Oh, _lucky_ me" Doe said sarcastically, " thank you for choosing to spare me"

" I see that spending time with your little friends has bred arrogance within you, I never thought I'd see the day" Snape snapped at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

" Is there a problem here?" Remus asked coming over to her.

Snape's eyes darted from Doe to Remus and a cold smile formed on his lips, " Ah, Lupin. You're looking scarred if I may say. Been out for walks in the moonlight?"

Remus tightened at the jab. His face contorting slightly in pain.

" I swear to Merlin" Doe said her wand raised at Snape.

Snape rolled his eyes again, " Oh I'd _love_ to see what your going to do"

Sirius and James had both come over now.

" Get out of here Snivellus, no one wants you here" Sirius snapped.

" One again Black, your arrogance astounds me" Snape said coldly, " I was engaged in a conversation with Dorcas, not you"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, " Trust me, she doesn't want to talk to you anymore than I do"

Snape and Sirius stared at eachother for a moment, both clutching their wands.

" Sirius, he isn't worth it" Doe said pulling Sirius away from him by his shoulder.

" Lucky you have your little protector around isn't it, Black?" Snape said coldly before turning on his heels and walking away.

Sirius moved forward trying to raise his wand. Doe grabbed his arm yanking it down.

" Sirius, don't." she told him.

Sirius was white with anger, " I hate that snivelling git" he snapped.

" There is no way he is on our side" James agreed angrily.

Lily clutched at her stomach looking really nervous.

" I can't believe he betrayed the Death Eaters" Peter said quietly.

Doe turned to Remus, " Let's go home okay?" she said.

Remus nodded, " Okay".

" Were going to go" Doe said to the group.

" Be careful" Lily added quickly.

" We will" Doe assured her, taking Remus' hand and leaving the house.

Once they were outside, they walked down the street to apparate back into the apartment.

They went into the bedroom. While Remus was getting ready for bed, she went into the kitchen. She came back into the room, clutching a mug of Hot Chocolate. She handed it to Remus.

He took it appreciatively, and kissed her forehead.

Doe wrapped her arm around his waist, " You know Snape was out of order right? You didn't listen to a word he said right?"

Remus shook his head, " No I didn't"

" You're twice the man he is" she told him, her hand resting on his shoulder.

He ran his thumb across her cheek, " Thank you"

They sat down on the bed, leaning against the pillows and pulled the blankets around them. He let her rest her head on his chest.

" I don't know how Dumbledore let Snape in the order" she said in frustration.

" I'm sure he had his reasons" Remus said. He clasped her hand in his.

" But he's a Death Eater, what motivation would he have to switch sides?" Doe asked.

Remus shrugged, " I don't know. But Dumbledore obviously trusts him, and we have to be able to trust Dumbledore"

Doe sighed and closed her eyes.

She didn't want to trust Snape, but Remus was right. She had to trust Dumbledore. She fell asleep that night, hoping that Dumbledore had real concrete evidence for trusting Severus Snape.


	86. 86 The Ancient and Most Noble House Of

The Ancient and Most Noble House Of:

" I felt it move!" Doe said happily, her hand was on Lily's stomach.

Lily smiled, " Isn't it weird? I'll never get used to it?"

They were curled up on Lily's couch, and she had just felt the baby move inside her stomach. It was pouring rain outside and Lily and Doe were spending the afternoon sitting in her house. It was the first weekend day in forever that Moody hadn't had her working. So Lily and Doe decided to spend the day together. She was now five months pregnant and her stomach had swelled. She was still in shock she was having a baby.

" Are you guys excited?" Doe asked Lily, covering her legs with the blanket that was thrown over the side of the couch.

Lily nodded happily, " Beyond excited, James is even more than me. He came home with the cutest little jumpers". Her eyes glistened with excitement while she talked about it.

" You two are going to be such good parents" Doe assured her.

" I hope so" Lily said stroking the side of her stomach, " maybe it'll teach James to grow up a little"

" Aw Lil, James is mature when he needs to be" Doe told her.

She smiled, " I know he is, but sometimes he can be a little ridiculous"

" Thats what you get when you marry a marauder" Doe told her.

She giggled, " This is true"

" Enough of the tales of a pregnant woman" Lily said scooting up, " tell me about your life"

" Lily you know everything about my life" she told her.

She grinned, " How are you and Remus?"

" We're perfect" she responded.

Lily smiled, " You have no idea how happy I am that you two are back together"

" I am too" she said bringing her arms around her knees.

" You two are soulmates, I knew you'd work it out in the end" Lily said.

Doe smiled at her words. Being with Remus was fantastic, and she felt right when he was in her life. The period of time without him felt strange and unfamiliar.

" We need more single girlfriends" Lily said, " we have become positively predictable"

" Lily, we're involved in a secret defense group in the middle of a war, we are anything but predictable" she reminded her.

She laughed, " I guess you're right"

" I always am, Lilykins" she told her with a wide smile.

The door opened and James came in. He was effortlessly dry despite the pouring rain outside. He must have cast a good water repelling charm.

In his hands he clasped the prophet and a box from Honeydukes.

" I brought those Cauldron Cakes you were craving, Lily. Hey Doe" James said slopping into the house and putting the box and prophet down on the coffee table. James leaned down and kissed Lily quickly.

" So what are you guys up too?" James said sitting down on the arm of the couch and hugging Lily.

" Just girl talk" Lily said smiling up at him.

Doe watched them smile at each other. Lily and James were made for each other.

" James, do you mind if I look at this?" Doe asked him, gesturing to the prophet.

James shook his head, " Go ahead"

Lily started telling James something about that she thought there might be a boggart in the upstairs closet.

Doe looked at the prophet. Some of it was pretty unreliable now, but they did manage to get the gist of everything that was going on.

The front page article was the news of an attempted break in at Gringotts. It was a group of young wizards who had foolishly tried to break into the high security vaults and were now being escorted to azkaban.

Doe flipped through the paper and stopped at an article a few pages in.

It's headline was small, but the words were enough to stop her in her tracks.

Youngest Son of the Black Family, Found Dead

Underneath it was a picture of Regulus. His face was stern and he looked so much like Sirius in the photo that it shocked her.

She scanned the article quickly. He had been found in a an abandoned house. The Dark Mark was hovering above it. He was killed by the killing curse, a funeral would be coming shortly. That was all it said. Something rippled inside Doe. Was it loss? She couldn't tell. Regulus and Doe had never been close. He had hated her her entire life. But he had approached her, and from what she could see he had wanted to change. She wondered if that was why he was killed.

She knew that if she was feeling this confused over the article, that there was someone who was even more confused by it.

" I have to go, I'll talk to you later okay?" Doe told Lily and James putting the Prophet article down on the table.

" Okay, " Lily said, " be careful"

Doe waved goodbye to both of them and left their house. She felt the rain drop against her in heavy droplets but she didn't cast the water repellent charm. She apparated quickly right outside of Sirius' door and knocked on it quickly.

There was silence. No one came to the door. She apparated to the muggle street and walked down in the pouring rain to the Lively Portkey.

The wizard at the door eyed her drenched appearance reproachfully but held the door open for her. She walked over to the bar where she saw Sirius' familiar shape. She sat down in the seat next to him.

Sirius had a drink in front of him, it was almost gone.

" Are you alright?" she asked him.

Sirius turned to her, " Why are you soaked?" he asked her.

She shook her head " Don't change the subject"

Sirius faced forward and didn't say anything.

" Are you okay?" she asked him.

Sirius chugged the rest of his drink, " He was a Death Eater, Doe. He didn't give a damn about me"

" Sirius, he was your brother" she told him, " You're allowed to be upset"

Sirius shook his head, " I'm not upset"

She raised her eyebrow. She knew Sirius well enough to know that he was upset by it.

Sirius shrugged of the jacket he was wearing and put it over her shoulders, " You're soaking wet, you're going to freeze"

She turned to face him, " I'm not the one I'm concerned about right now" she said.

Sirius shook his head, " You don't need to worry about me"

He turned to the bartender and asked for another firewhiskey.

" Sirius, no. Come on" she said grabbing his arm.

She looked him in the eye, " Come on".

He didn't fight her, he let her drag him out of the bar by the wrist.

She took his arm and apparated back to his apartment. He didn't talk while she opened the door and sat him down on the couch. She went into the kitchen and came back with a butterbeer. She handed it to him and sat down next to him on the couch. He was looking straight forward.

" I don't know why this is bothering me" Sirius said cracking his knuckles.

" He's your brother" she told him.

Sirius took a deep breath, " He was a git"

She took his hand, " Doesn't mean he didn't love you"

Sirius blinked quickly, " It's weird you know? Regulus and I grew up in the same house, and we turned out so different. We were never close, but now it's bothering me."

" No matter how rocky your relationship with your brother was, he still was family" She told him.

" Do you think he really changed?" Sirius demanded of her. His eyes were wide and he looked concerned.

She didn't know what to tell him. Regulus' allegiance was something that she thought about a lot.

Wand to her head, she would have said he was good. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, there was something in his expression that made she think he had.

" I think that he was trying to be on our side" she told him.

Sirius sighed, " I don't know if that makes it better or worse"

Doe held his hand tighter, " Are you going to go to the funeral?"

Sirius shook his head firmly, " Life-changing decision or not, this is the only mourning he deserves"

Sirius chugged a sip of butterbeer and leaned back against the couch. She knew he was going to say anything else about it. But she sat there quietly and let him stew, knowing that at least he wasn't dealing with it alone.


	87. 87 Attempted Defeat of the Stag

Attempted Defeat of the Stag:

Doe was reading through a statement collected from a wizard who witnessed a recent death eater attack when someone stopped by her cubicle.

" Doe Meadowes, right?" Augustus Rookwood said leaning in her doorframe.

" Yes?" she said leaning back in her chair and looking at him.

Augustus handed her a form, " This was the form you requested from the Department of Mysteries"

She nodded, " Right thank you".

She had completely forgotten that she had requested the form. It was about a prophecy that was written about Alecto.

Augustus looked at her in confusion, " You're working on a Death Eater by yourself?"

She raised an eyebrow, " Yes, why?"

Augustus shrugged, " Nothing, it's just.." he smiled slightly, " don't you think you're a little ill equipped to handle Death Eaters? I mean they are much more powerful than you are"

Doe blinked at him, " I've done it before"

Augustus let out a little laugh, " I wouldn't bank on it happening again"

Doe looked at him in confusion, " Okay" she said strangely.

Augustus waved slightly and disappeared around the corner. She shook her head and looked at the form.

The prophecy in question didn't have anything to do with Alecto. Only her mother. So as such it didn't pertain to their case and she couldn't see it.

Augustus Rookwood gave her the creeps. It was something about his demeanor. It was odd.

She shoved the form into the file with the rest of Alecto's paperwork. She was at a stalemate with her case. Moody hadn't let her go into the field to watch her since her incident with Rabastan, and as much as he would deny it, she wouldn't be able to catch a Death Eater from her desk.

She looked back to the timeline she had created for Alecto's suspected activity and sighed. There was nothing she could do from her desk.

Doe got up and walked down the hallway to Moody's office and knocked gingerly on the door.

" Come in Meadowes" he called from inside and the door opened by itself.

" How did you know it was me?" she asked.

" I know everything" Moody said, " sit down".

Doe sat down in one of the squashy chairs in front of Moody's desk. She picked at the sleeves of her sweater feeling exceptionally nervous. She didn't like to challenge Moody.

" Whats this about?" Moody asked.

Doe took a deep breath.

" I want to talk about tailing Alecto" she said firmly.

Moody shook his head before she could even finish my sentence with a resounding " No".

" You're on desk duty" he reminded her, " or do you not remember that you were tortured by Death Eaters"

" Moody I remember, but I can't do my job from my desk" she told him.

Moody shook his head, " You're already too much of a target"

" Come on" she said crossing her arms in irritation, " I go on missions for the Order, how is this any different?"

She was doing her best not to sound like a child, but it was hard. She felt like she was arguing for a curfew rather than the option to do her job.

" I'm not going to put one of my aurors in harm's way, do you want to take a killing curse to the chest?" Moody asked angrily.

" Moody" she begged, " this job is dangerous, you can't have me sit on the sidelines and not do it. We're in the middle of a war, I could get murdered on my way to Diagon Alley"

Moody made a face, like he was considering her argument.

" Fine" he said quietly.

" Really?" Doe asked happily.

" Conditionally" Moody said, " I don't want you ever going by yourself, you bring Black or you don't go at all"

Doe nodded, " I will, thank you"

Moody rolled his eyes, " Get out of my office, Meadowes"

He flicked his wand and the door opened.

Amazed with her good luck, She left the office at a bit of a skip.

Doe walked into Sirius' cubicle where he had his legs up on his desk, reading his Dolohov file with intense concentration.

" I am officially off desk duty!" she said happily, sitting on his desk.

Sirius looked up at her with his eyebrow raised, " Moody let you off the hook already?"

She nodded with a small smile, " But not without the help of my partner"

" He wants me to go with you?" Sirius asked his eyebrow raised.

" You don't have to sound so thrilled about it" she said sarcastically.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " I didn't mean it like that"

She pulled her legs underneath her, " So what do you say? Can I take the _dog_ for a walk?"

Sirius grinned widely, " Meadowes stop _dogging_ me about it"

" You go for dogging, really?" she asked him, " you can do better than that"

Sirius smiled, " I'll think of something better on the way, come on"

Sirius and Doe told Moody that they were leaving and headed to the elevators.

" So where are we even going?" Sirius asked her.

" Alecto works in Knockturn Alley" she told him, " At Borgin & Burkes"

Sirius shuddered, " If she works in Knockturn Alley, she's almost definitely a Death Eater"

Doe laughed, " If only it were that easy" she told him.

They went to the atrium. Most of the ministry employees were in their offices, but a few employees were scattered around. There was a young man selling Daily Prophets, the headline read 'You-Know-Who Murders Again'.

Sirius and Doe walked into the middle of the atrium towards the fireplaces and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

The pub was nearly empty. Which didn't surprise her. People were avoiding the usual magical places at all costs.

They waved hello to Tom before ducking into the back and walking into Diagon Alley.

The entrance to Knockturn Alley stood to their left. Sirius and Doe both took out theur wands and walked down the alley.

" I really hate this place" Sirius said as they walked deeper in the alley.

They took a turn around the corner and Doe flinched involuntarily. In front of her was the empty storefront she had been dragged into and tortured in.

Sirius noticed her staring at it.

" Come on" he said putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her further into the alley.

She had tried to convince herself that it didn't bother her, but the more time that passed, the more she realized how much it had affected her.

" You know," Sirius said, " that was terrifying, finding you like that"

Doe pursed her lips as they walked forward, " It wasn't very fun for me either"

" Throw them both in Azkaban" Sirius said with a smile, " it'll make you feel better"

Doe laughed, " If only it were that simple"

They walked further. Borgin & Burkes was right around the corner.

" Should we go in?" Sirius asked.

Doe hesitated, " We're in our auror robes, that'll look a bit obvious"

Sirius smiled, " Then we take them off" he said shrugging off his robes, revealing the tshirt and jeans he wore underneath.

Doe pulled my robes over her head and wished she hadn't worn such a bright blue shirt.

" Do you have a plan?" Doe asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded and took out his wand and hiding their robes beneath a crate.

" Come on" he said taking her hand and leading her into the shop.

Borgin and Burke's was a dirty shop. It was dark and all of the shelves were cramped together, full of dark objects.

Doe stood closely to Sirius. She looked up at the counter and saw her. Alecto Carrow was leaning against the shop counter, her hair pulled back with a green ribbon.

She was young but she was a very harsh looking woman. She had the impression of someone who looked like they particularly enjoyed being surrounded by the dark arts.

" Can I help you with something?" Alecto asked eyeing her strangely.

Doe realized she may have been staring. Sirius walked over behind her and stretched his arm across her shoulders,

" No thanks, we're just looking" Sirius told her.

Doe looked at him strangely, but he just winked. He pulled her down the aisle.

" Looking for anything in particular?" Alecto called from the counter.

Sirius walked into the aisle and in front of the counter and started a conversation with her about a shriveled hand on display in the front. Meanwhile, Doe watched her.

Her mannerisms were so harsh. She reminded her a lot of Mulciber.

" I think your girlfriend over there needs you" Alecto said said to Sirius, eyeing her coldly.

Doe tried to fake a smile as best she could, so she wasn't suspicious.

" No actually I was wondering how much this was?" Doe asked gesturing to the thing closest to her.

It was a large ornate looking necklace. Something Doe never would have picked out normally.

" That?" Alecto asked raising her left arm to point at the necklace, " a thousand galleons"

When she lifted her arm, Doe saw a flash of the Dark Mark under her sleeve. She turned quickly so that she didn't notice she had seen it. Sirius seemed to catch on.

He walked over to her and they made eye contact.

" I don't really know if that would suit you sweetheart," he said coming over to her, " it's a bit gaudy"

Sirius and Doe looked at eachother and he eyed the door.

" You're right" Doe agreed, " let's look somewhere else"

Sirius put his hand on her back and led her out of the store.

They walked further down the street to where they had stashed theur auror robes and put them back on.

" Did you see the mark?" Doe asked him buttoning her robes.

Sirius nodded, " I saw it, she's definitely a Death Eater"

They both walked back down the alley, towards Diagon Alley.

" It was so strange, talking to her like that" Doe told him, " I mean I know so much about her"

Sirius nodded, " It was weird"

" Quick thinking by the way" Doe said to him, " you did really well in there"

They emerged from the dark alley and into the brightly lit one.

Sirius grinned, " Charming women is my specialty"

Doe rolled her eyes at him.

They walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron and were about to go in when a patronus appeared in front of them.

The silvery phoenix stood in front of them and rang out clearly in Dumbledore's voice.

" Come to St. Mungos now, there has been an incident"

The patronus disappeared and Sirius and Doe turned to each other.

" An incident?" Doe asked desperately, " what kind of incident".

Sirius looked worried, " Come on let's disapparate"

They both disapparated into the street outside of the St. Mungos storefront. A few muggles stared at them strangely but then kept walking, convincing themselves that they hadn't seen anything.

They entered it quickly.

A few members of the Order were huddled around in the waiting room.

" What's going on?" Sirius asked Deadleus Diggle.

Deadleus looked extremely uncomfortable, " It's James and Lily, they've been attacked"

Sirius and Doe both began to become irrational.

" Lily and James?" Doe asked quickly, " where are they?"

Deadelus shrugged and said he didn't know. Doe walked over to the woman at the front desk.

" Excuse me," she said frantically, " where are Lily and James Potter?"

The woman looked up at her expectantly.

" Fourth Floor" she said quickly.

Sirius and Doe practically ran into the watched Sirius press the fourth floor button so hard it looked like he was going to break it.

She took his arm. Sirius looked like he was shaking with fear.

" They're going to be fine, Sirius" she told him, looking him directly in the eye.

Sirius looked straightforward and nodded.

She knew exactly how he was feeling. Her chest was rising falling in fear. Lily and James had to be okay. They had to be alright.

The doors to the elevator opened and Sirius and Doe walked out onto the fourth floor quickly.

The fourth floor was so large that we would never be able to find them on their own. She spotted Remus standing outside one of the rooms with Peter.

" Sirius" she said pulling him towards them.

They walked over to them quickly.

" Remus, what's going on? Are they okay?" Doe asked him frantically.

" Lily and James, they went to lunch and they were attacked" Remus said quickly, " Dumbledore's with them now"

" Are they okay?" Sirius asked again.

" They're alive" Remus said quickly, " I don't know much else"

Doe felt her insides seem to fall apart.

Remus wrapped his arm around her. Sirius took to pacing.

" When can we see them?" he asked anxiously.

" I don't know" Peter said quietly.

" How did this even happen?" Doe asked, " who attacked them?"

Remus looked very pale, " Dumbledore hasn't told us anything"

They all sat around in silence for a minutes. Soon the door opened and Dumbledore strode out.

" Dumbledore," Sirius said, " what happened?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath, " Both Lily and James are fine. You can go see them now"

They all got up at once and entered the hospital room.

Lily and James were both lying in their own individual beds. They looked exhausted and shaken up. Both were sporting cuts across their face.

" Are you okay?" Doe asked coming over to the edge of Lily's bed.

Sirius had rushed to James side. Both Peter and Remus stood in between their two beds.

" We're okay" James said nodding his head.

" Honestly" Lily said her hand on her stomach, " we're fine"

" And the baby?" Peter asked.

Lily nodded, " He's fine too"

" What the bloody hell happened?" Sirius asked them both.

James sighed and Lily's eyes welled up with tears.

" We were attacked" Lily said, wiping away her tears.

" By who?" Remus asked.

James sighed and took a deep breath, " Voldemort"

The four of them all gasped and the room got very quiet.


	88. 88 Heavy Burden

Heavy Burden:

Lily & James attack had made them all paranoid. They had only narrowly escaped, thanks to James superb dueling skills. The fact that Voldemort had been so close to Lily and James terrified her. They ended up being okay, but they both still refused to go into hiding. Despite all of their pleas, Lily and James had insisted that going into hiding would only encourage further attacks from Voldemort. Doe didn't know if their mindset was foolish or brave.

Their attack had put fear in all of the Order members, they were all panicked about the possibility of getting attacked too.

Moody had pulled Sirius and Doe aside and told them that he would have to be relying more heavily on them than before. They were the only other aurors in the Order, and as such, they were playing a crucial position in the war. They spent a lot of time invested in catching death eaters.

Moody gave them so much work that they were stuck in the office until far too late. Doe's eyes would usually go blurry after the endless hours of reading files and reports.

Both Sirius and Doe felt a tremendous amount of pressure. They were both juggling both work from the auror office and the Order and had to be careful not to confuse or neglect either.

It was making Doe continually exhausted.

It didn't help matters that Dumbledore had asked Remus to go on a mission for the Order. He would be leaving for a week.

" I don't want you to go" Doe said wrapping her arms around his neck. He had a bag packed and he was getting ready to leave.

Remus' expression softened, " I don't want to go either, but Dumbledore needs someone like me to talk to them or they won't listen"

Dumbledore had asked Remus to go and talk to the other werewolves, the ones that lived underground and see if he could convince them to come to their side rather than Voldemort's.

Doe frowned, " Please be careful" she begged.

Remus cupped her face with his hands, " I will, and I'll be back in a week, you'll hardly have time to miss me"

" Rubbish" She told him, her lips pouted.

Remus let out a throaty chuckled and kissed her quickly, " I love you, Doe"

She interlaced her fingers with his and looked up at him, " I love you too, Remus".

He pulled her towards him and placed one more kiss on her forehead before disapparating.

Doe sat in their living room feeling very nervous. She didn't like the idea of Remus being on his own with the other werewolves. She had heard the horror stories. Werewolves like Fenir Greyback were nothing like Remus, they would kill easily and enjoy it. It terrified her that Remus could be surrounded by people like that. Doe got dressed quickly and went into work. I was a little late today and the auror office was already buzzing when she got in there. She looked up at the wall and saw all the photos of suspected Death Eaters.

Most of them were unsolved.

There was a large slash through Rosier's picture that read AZKABAN. Mulciber and Rabastan's pictures had both been moved to the High Priority section.

" Moody wants us" Sirius said when Doe sat down in her cubicle.

" For what?" she asked him, wondering what Moody could possibly want with us this early in the morning.

" Dunno," Sirius said quickly as they walked towards Moody's office, " but he's not in a good mood, did you see the prophet today?"

Doe shook her head, she had been so preoccupied with wishing Remus well, that she hadn't stopped to read it.

Sirius grabbed a copy of it off an abandoned desk and handed it to her.

The front page had a huge color photo of the Dark Mark hovering over several homes.

" Mass Muggleborn killing" Sirius told her.

She sighed, " Another one?"

Sirius nodded.

They approached Moody's door and before they even knocked, it shot open. Moody was scribbling something on a piece of parchment but waved them inside. They sat down and the door slammed closed.

" Good you're here, I have something to tell you both" Moody said.

Sirius looked to Doe and then back at Moody.

Moody took out two files and handed one to each of them. The one in her hand said Lestrange, Bellatrix.

Sirius' clearly read Malfoy, Lucius.

" What are these?" Doe asked him, as the photo of Bellatrix on the front sneered up at her.

" You're new targets" Moody said, " Snape told Dumbledore that he thinks these two are the most dangerous of Voldemort's supporters and the ones who should be paid the most attention. They're responsible for the murders in the prophet this morning"

" Snape told you did he?" Doe said darkly.

" Yes" Moody said his eyebrow raised at her, in confusion.

" Probably helped to them to do it, didn't he" Sirius added.

" Dumbledore trusts Snape" Moody reminded them harshly.

Sirius and Doe exchanged a look. Neither one of them believed Snape's allegiance was to their side, but they weren't stupid enough to question Dumbledore's judgement in front of Moody.

" So why are we getting new targets?" Doe asked.

Moody frowned slightly, " Well I received this information from the Order, so I can't give it to anyone who isn't in it, which leaves you two and Frank. And Frank is already working on Barty Crouch Jr.-"

" Barty Crouch Jr. is a death eater?" Sirius asked quickly, interrupting Moody.

" Suspected Death Eater" Moody snapped, " and since I don't want to explain why I gave two of my junior aurors the most dangerous suspected Death Eaters, keep quiet about it"

Doe nodded and held the file so that the name and picture was towards her and not out.

" You two have become the only aurors I can depend on regularly" Moody said seriously, " so don't screw this up"

" But no pressure" Sirius said quietly under his breath so only she could hear.

" We won't" she told Moody.

Moody nodded and waved his wand, letting the door open for them. Sirius and Doe walked back to Doe's cubicle and sat on the floor, opening the files and looking through them.

" I forget that you're related to her" she told Sirius and she flipped through Bellatrix's file.

" Only in the most technical way" Sirius said with a tone of disgust, " but if you go back far enough, all pureblood families are related"

" So you and James are actually related then?" she asked him.

Sirius shrugged, " You wouldn't be able to find out how, you'd have to go back hundreds of years"

Doe nodded and flipped through the files.

" Looks like Bella didn't do as well on her O. as she made it seem" Doe said holding the results in her hand.

Sirius' eyes widened with intrigue, " Let me see those! She went on to my mom for hours about how good they were"

She handed Sirius the parchment and his outrage was almost humorous.

" That lying little snake!" he snapped, " she failed History of Magic, Astronomy and Divination!"

She laughed at the obvious irritation on Sirius' face. It was entertaining watching how upset he was getting about something so insignificant.

Bellatrix's file was much more complete than Alecto's had been. It took her hours to get through it. She spent the rest of the day and well into the night trying to timeline her life, and figuring how when she had joined forces with Voldemort.

It was exhausting, after awhile she had to call it quits and pick back up with it in the morning.

" The Dark Lord's knowledge of the Order of the Phoenix is not very comprehensive." Snape said at the Order meeting a few nights later, " he knows it is Dumbledore's creation and he knows that a few of the Hogwarts professors are involved as well as many witches and wizards who are well-acquainted with Dumbledore, but that is all. He is not terribly concerned with individual identities, yet"

Watching Snape talk so freely about Voldemort in front of them turned Doe's stomach. It was the way he referred to him. Calling him the Dark Lord was something she had only ever heard Death Eaters call him, it gave him a level of respect he didn't deserve. How fitting that that would be Snape's choice of words for him.

Doe knew the information that Snape was giving the Order was helpful, and she knew that both Dumbledore and Moody appreciated it greatly, but she had trouble accepting it. It was hard for her to believe he did so honestly. How could they be sure that Snape wasn't just as easily passing information about the Order to Voldemort.

 _Because you know Dumbledore is brilliant and probably has a way of making sure that isn't occurring_ the tiny voice in her head said.

She tried to ignore it. It was much easier for her to detest Snape.

" So he doesn't know who we are?" Emmeline asked quickly.

Snape shook his head, " He has guessed about some, but he doesn't know for sure"

Doe bit her lip nervously wondering whose identity Voldemort had guessed. Was Lily and James name on that list. Was Remus'? Sirius'? Peter's? Hers?

She had to stop herself from thinking about it. Either way, worrying about it wouldn't change it.

" He knew about our last Headquarters" Deadleus pointed out, " doesn't that mean he has some sort of intel?"

Dumbledore's face flashed a small expression of concern, but he seemed to shake it off.

" He has some," Snape said, " but the Dark Lord has much support and gains his information from all kinds of sources"

" He has ministry information" Arthur Weasley pointed out, " how does he have that?"

Snape looked momentarily annoyed, " You are not honestly naive enough to think that the Dark Lord doesn't have supporters within the ministry, are you? The arm of the Dark Lord extends in almost every facet of the magical world"

That terrified Doe. To think that there were people they passed at work everyday at the ministry whose allegiance was not to the rest of the magical community, but to Voldemort.

" But surely not the minister of magic, right?" Arabella Figg asked.

" Not to my knowledge" Snape said.

" Your knowledge you gather while playing Death Eater" James said darkly under his breath from beside her.

Lily eyed him with a strange look. It was a mixture of reproachfulness and agreement. Doe assumed Lily didn't quite know how she felt about Snape's information.

Doe looked at James and offered him a small smile.

He returned it, looking pleased that someone else agreed with him on the matter.

" The imperius curse is being used by the Dark Lord and his supporters even more frequently, I think it would be worth all of your time to ensure that those who you speak with are not under the influence of it" Snape said.

" But why does You-Know-Who use it?" Emmeline pressed on.

Snape looked slightly annoyed at being bombarded with questions, " The Dark Lord-"

" Would he stop calling him that" Doe said angrily under her breath.

James snickered from beside her, but Snape had stopped talking.

He looked at her coldly, " Do you have some insight on this, Dorcas?"

" I don't think _Doe_ was talking to you, Snivellus" James said stepping in.

Snape's mouth pulled into a tight line, " You know, I am trying to give the rest of these people some life saving advice, but if you two would like to interrupt, by all means, continue"

" Funny, I think you've taken more lives than you've saved Snivelly" Sirius snapped from the other side of the table.

Snape looked at him with a look of pure loathing, " I was not talking to you, _Dog_ "

Sirius laughed coldly, " Oh look, Snivelly's trying to make a little joke"

" Enough" Moody said eyeing, Sirius, James and Doe, " Continue, Snape"

Snape went on for the rest of the meeting, answering all of the questions from the other Order members. Sirius, James and Doe remained quiet the entire time. None of them wanted information badly enough to get it from Snape. Doe knew she was being a little stubborn and childish, but she would rather get her information from someone who wasn't quite so intimately involved with the people she was trying to stop.

When the meeting ended, Snape left quickly.

" You know you shouldn't challenge him like that" Lily said to her, " he'll just be cruel to you"

She was holding her stomach and looking at her with a look of motherly concern.

Doe shrugged, " I'm not afraid of Snape. He's already tried to kill me once"

Lily frowned, " You two used to be friends"

" So did you" Doe pointed out.

Lily's face scrunched up, " Not for a long time, you two were friends more recently. I would have thought you would have tried to see more in him. I mean there's got to be a reason he switched sides"

" So you think he has then?" Doe asked her.

Lily shrugged, " I don't know, but I feel for him. Imagine if it were you, switching would be hard enough, imagine having to do it while the side you've switched to doesn't believe or accept you either"

Lily's words cut deep into her. She began to feel slightly bad. Maybe she had been a little too quick to judge.

" I'll see you, okay Lily?" she told her and walked over to Dumbledore.

He was talking very earnestly to Professor Slughorn.

They stopped their conversation, and Slughorn bade Dumbledore farewell before disapparating. Leaving them alone.

" Ah, Ms. Meadowes" Dumbledore said happily, " to what do I owe the pleasure"

Doe shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though her intentions were written across her forehead,

" Well Professor, I was wondering if you knew where Snape lived?" Doe asked quietly.

" Severus?" Dumbledore asked, " Well I'm quite surprised you're asking, not planning on hexing him are you?"

He was joking but there was a touch of sincerity to the question.

Doe shook her head, " No Professor, I actually thought something more along the lines of an apology"

Dumbledore looked quite surprised. He blinked in confusion at her.

" Well, Ms. Meadowes, may I say I am very impressed with the nobility of your request. Very Gryffindor in deed"

Doe tried to muster a small smile through the aurora of shame.

" You'll find Severus lives at 311 Spinners End, it's in Cokeworth" Dumbledore said quietly.

He considered something for a moment and then added, " but perhaps do not mention to him that I was the one who gave you his address, lest your presence is not well received"

Doe nodded, " You're secret's safe with me, Professor, thank you" I told him.

Dumbledore offered her a small smile and then walked over to Professor McGonagall.

Doe left Headquarters feeling particularly anxious about what she was about to do. If Remus had been here, he would have surely talked her out of it, and if Sirius or James knew what she was doing they would have dragged her to St. Mungos to see if she had suffered some sort of spell damage.

Part of her was even trying to convince herself not to go, but the more dominant part was forcing her too.

Doe closed her eyes and apparatted to 311 Spinner's end. It was very close to where Lily lived, Doe remembered then that they had grown up close together. This must have been Snape's parents house.

Doe walked down the rainy cobblestone street and stopped in front of the door marked 311.

It took all the strength she had to muster herself to knock on the door.

There was a moment of silence before the little window in the door opened, and Snape's face appeared. She had never seen him look more annoyed.

" What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice dripping with anger.

" I want to talk to you" she told him, trying to keep her tone as polite as possible.

It was difficult, considering the look Snape was giving her.

" And if I don't want to talk to you?" he asked.

" I'll respect that" she told him, " but you'll have a dark haired girl waiting in front of your door until you change your mind"

Snape rolled his eyes and she distinctly heard him mumble something about 'arrogant gryffindors' under his breath before closing the window and opening the door.

" Thank you" she said as she walked in, still clutching her wand in her hand. Her trust only went so far.

Snape led her into a small dark living room. He sat down in one of the arm chairs and crossed his legs. Doe sat down in the other.

It felt very strange to be sitting in Snape's house.

" You had something to discuss with me" Snape reminded her.

"Right" Doe said quickly, " well I just wanted to say that the way I behaved during the meeting today was inappropriate and I'm sorry. Regardless of how I feel, I should have maintained decorum"

Snape eyed her with a look of confusion. He was silent for a moment.

" And how do you feel?" He asked.

" Excuse me?" she asked him.

" You said 'regardless of how I feel' and I asked you how you feel" Snape said.

" Oh" she said realizing what he meant, " Well I don't know if I believe you"

" Obviously" Snape said slightly irritated.

The rage Doe had been trying to control was rearing it's ugly head, " Well can you blame me?" she demanded, " you were my friend and then you weren't, then you joined Voldemort and tried to kill me, would you believe you?"

" Don't say his name" Snape said quickly and loudly.

He recovered and then turned to her, " Do you not think I know this? How it looks. I was a Death Eater, as far as the Dark Lord knows, I still am. But I have switched sides, and I am trying to help the right side. As for trying to kill you, I'll repeat myself, If I truly wanted you dead, I would have killed you. I was angry and I tried to scare you out of sharing what you saw. It was over a year ago and I'm not proud of it."

Doe looked at Snape with her eyes wide. He had admitted his wrong doings. It was shocking to hear.

" You've also been a real dick to Remus" she pointed out, " his condition is hard enough on him without your snotty comments"

Snape's face contorted slightly, " Well, he is a werewolf, I haven't forgotten what happened seventh year"

" Then you will remember it wasn't his fault, and how bad he felt about it after" she reminded him.

Snape looked her directly in the eyes, " It doesn't bother you at all? Being with him, when he is one?"

She shook her head firmly, " No, it doesn't"

Snape leaned his face against his fist, " Well, I'll attempt to hold my tongue on the matter, though I disagree"

" That is all I ask" she told him.

Snape raised an eyebrow at her, " So does this mean you believe me?" he asked, his voice slightly questioning.

She looked back at him, " It means I don't not believe you" she told him, " to get my trust you have to earn it"

And without looking back, she got up from the chair and apparated back to her apartment.

She was surprised that she was able to have a slightly civil conversation with Severus. It had gone much better than she thought it would.

She went into her bedroom and changed. She was exhausted, but decided she better go clean up the kitchen. She had been so busy that the mess was piling up slightly. She raised her wand and began to charm the dishes to start washing themselves.

" Hey, Beautiful" a voice said behind her.

She turned around quickly. Her wand raised and ready to duel.

Sirius held his hands up, " Doe, it's me"

Doe took a deep breath and lowered her wand.

" You gave me a heart attack" she told him.

Sirius looked confused, " I've called you that for years, who else did you think it was?"

Doe shrugged, " I don't know, an intruder or a Death Eater or something"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, " If a Death Eater is calling you beautiful, I think we've got a bigger problem" he replied cheekily.

Doe smacked him with a dish towel that was on the counter next to her.

" What are you doing here?" she asked him.

" Can't a best friend visit you without ulterior motives?" Sirius asked in mock sincerity.

Doe looked at the clock, " At eleven at night?" she asked him.

Sirius smiled, " You caught me, I promised Moony I'd keep an eye on you"

Doe rolled her eyes at Remus' overprotectiveness, " I can take care of myself" she told him.

Sirius nodded, " _I_ know that and so does he, but you know Moony, if something happened to you when he was gone, he would blame himself"

Doe rolled her eyes, " That's ridiculous"

Sirius held up his hand " That's Remus"

She smiled slightly. Though unnecessary, it made her happy that he was concerned enough for her safety to employ Sirius' help.

" You hungry?" she asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded eagerly, " When am I not?"

So she put on a pot of tea and took out supplies to make something suitable to eat.


	89. 89 The Mole

The Mole:

" You're back!" Doe cried happily throwing her arms around Remus' neck and pulling him into a tight hug.

He laughed as he held her close to him, " I see someone missed me"

She smiled mischievously and pulled his face down towards her, kissing him passionately.

When they broke apart, he was grinning widely, " If I'm going to be greeted like this, I should leave home more often"

" Bite your tongue" she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

She was so happy to have him home. It felt like forever since he was here. It had been a very long week.

" How was it?" she asked, " Tell me everything"

Remus put his bag down on the floor and sat down with her on the couch.

" Okay, well for starters I didn't realize there were packs here in Britain. But there are, the one's I came across were about ten to fifteen werewolves living together"

" Really?" Doe asked.

Remus nodded, " It was the strangest assortment of people. Some of them were like Greyback, they were almost wild. They had completely given in to their werewolf instincts, but some of them were just regular people, like me"

Doe smiled, " See Remus, It doesn't affect who you are"

Remus smiled widely, " Some of them have families too, they're married with children and they make it work"

Doe smiled too. She knew Remus was always so afraid of the effect his lycanthropy would have on children.

" Did you manage to convince any of them?" she asked.

Remus made a face, " The more tame ones, I think. But I know Greyback convinced a lot of them to go with Voldemort. He promised them power, and rights, and victims"

Remus shuddered on the last word.

" Did you see him, Greyback?" she asked biting her lip. She knew Remus hadn't seen him in person since he was bitten at age four.

Remus shook his quickly, " No, thankfully. I just heard a lot of him from the other werewolves"

" I'm glad I went, though" he added quickly, " I learned a lot".

She smiled, " Good, then you don't have to go again"

Remus smiled and looked at her, " How much did you miss me while I was gone?"

She reached forward and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him. She was sitting in his lap, and she felt his hands running up her shirt.

She pushed him down on the couch and kissed him again.

He laughed, " So I'll take that as a lot?" he asked, as she discarded her shirt.

" More than you know, Lupin"

" You know we have an Order meeting tonight" Remus reminded her. She was laying on the couch next to him, wrapped around him.

Doe looked up at him and pouted, " I don't want to go"

Remus laughed and stroked her head, " I've already missed three this week"

" You should be exempt" she told him, " you've been doing work for the Order for the last week"

Remus chuckled, " I don't think it works like that"

" It should" she said crossing her arms.

Remus ran his hands down her back, " Will you go if I promise to make love to you again when we get back?"

Doe grinned widely, " Then yes, I'll go"

Remus shook his head at her and reached up to kiss her.

They both got up and got dressed.

" I like the shirt by the way" Remus commented as she buttoned the shirt I had been wearing.

She grinned. It was his, She had missed him so much that she had worn it with jeans to work today. She had had to roll the sleeves because her arms were too short.

" Do you want it back?" she asked him.

He shook his head and stroked the side of her face, " It looks much better on you"

She smiled at him.

He held me by her hips, " You know tomorrow night is the full moon"

She nodded. She had been trying to forget about it. Remus had just gotten home, and now she would have to worry all over again.

" I was thinking maybe you could stay at Lily's, since James' is coming with me tomorrow, and he doesn't want Lily to be alone either" Remus suggested.

" I can handle being alone" she told Remus.

He shook his head, " Both James and I will be far too worried"

She rolled her eyes at him, " Fine, but only because I miss Lily, not because I can't take care of myself" she told him.

Remus smiled, " I don't care what the motivation is, as long as you're safe"

They both disapparated and ended up on the street of headquarters. The air was warming up a sit was mid spring, but there was still a chilly breeze.

Remus and Doe approached the door and it opened quickly, Arabella Figg answered.

" I don't know why they had me answer the door" she said irritably, " it's not like I can do anything without a wand, 'let's let the squib answer the door'"

" Well let me save you the trouble" she told her, " It's Remus and Doe, not two Death Eaters"

She scrunched her nose, " That's what Death Eaters would say"

She turned to Remus, " Your turn"

Remus smiled at Mrs. Figg, " Mrs. Figg, it's us, I promise"

Arabella opened the door, " Honestly, I'm too tired to even care" she said as she let them in.

Remus and Doe walked over to their usual seats were Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter were clustered.

" Moony!" Sirius said happily.

" You're back" James said happily.

Peter smiled widely, and Lily clapped her hands together and said " Oh, good you're safe and sound"

Remus hugged them all, returning their greetings.

" How was it with the werewolves?" James asked quickly.

" Enlightening" Remus told him and launched into a discussion about it. Telling them everything he had told her earlier.

Doe let her eyes wander around the room. She noticed Severus was there, standing in the corner. His arms were crossed and he was standing alone.

She noticed everyone else was eyeing him warily. Dumbledore and Moody hadn't arrived, so most of the people who trusted Snape, weren't here.

Doe decided against her better judgement, to be nice.

She walked over to where he was and leaned against the wall next to him.

" Hello Severus" she said politely.

" Dorcas" he said.

Doe eyed him angrily, her eyebrow raised.

" Hello, Doe" he corrected himself automatically, shaking his head at her.

" We've come full circle" she told him, remembering him giving her the same reaction when he was at school.

" Yes well, creatures of habit" Severus said bitterly.

" You're in a cheery mood" she pointed out.

He looked at her with an annoyed expression, " How perceptive you are, you should consider being an auror" he said sarcastically.

" Good one, I can hardly breathe from laughing" she said, equally as sarcastic.

" Seriously, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Severus sighed, " I don't particularly like tonight's topic of conversation"

" You know what the meetings about?" she asked.

He nodded glumly. He looked exhausted. She noticed for the first time he looked thinner than she usually saw him, and he had pronounced dark circles. He looked defeated. It reminded her of when Remus came home after the full moon.

It occurred to me then, how much switching sides may have been affecting him.

Severus reached into his robes pocket and pulled out a small flask. He handed it to her.

" What is this?" she asked, unstoppering it and smelling it. It reeked of lace-wing flies. It was obviously a potion.

Severus closed it, putting the stopper back in.

" That" he said, " is a freshly brewn bottle of Wolfsbane Potion"

" What?" she asked him in disbelief.

The Wolfsbane Potion had just recently been discovered. It's aim was to allow bitten individuals to keep their mental state when they phased. It was extremely helpful, but very difficult to brew. Remus was desperate to try it, but Dumbledore was having trouble finding someone who could do it.

" Why?" she asked him.

She was grateful for it, and she knew Remus would be too, but it struck her as odd that Severus would do something so selfless.

" Don't look so thankful" Severus commented on her expression, " I didn't make it for you, I just wanted to see if I could do it, and I obviously don't have any use for it"

Doe pocketed it, " Well thank you, regardless" she told him.

Severus nodded curtly, looking straightforward.

" Was it because Lily was attacked?" she asked him.

Severus turned to face her quickly, his eyes livid.

" Why you switched sides" she told him.

He stared at her his face changing to reflect different emotions.

" I won't say anything" she told him quickly, " It's not for me to repeat"

Severus stared at her utterly blank faced, and she knew she was right. She had always known how much Severus cared for Lily. It was the kind of thing that didn't go away.

" I believe you by the way" she told him starting to walk away, " looks like you've got your Gryffindor ally back"

Severus didn't say anything. He just stared at her and then blinked quickly and turned back to facing forward.

Doe walked back over to Remus and wrapped her arms around him.

" Why were you talking to Snape?" he asked.

She shook her head, " That is a long story, I'll tell you later. Besides I have good news"

He looked mildly confused, " What kind of news?"

She took the flask out of pocket and handed it to him, " You now have the Wolfsbane potion to try for tomorrow night"

Remus' eyes widened as he realized what he was holding.

" Where did you get this?" he asked in disbelief.

" Don't worry about it, just enjoy it" she told him.

A wide smile broke out onto his face and he pulled her into a hug.

Doe didn't want to tell Remus that it was from Severus, in the fear that it would make him wary of it or not want to take it at all. It was too important to him.

Doe was just glad he would get to have it.

Dumbledore entered the house with Moody at his heels. They both sat down and so did everyone else.

Doe couldn't help but notice that he looked very solemn.

" I have two very important things to tell you this evening" Dumbledore said quietly, " and it pains me to say this, but neither are good"

The room got very quiet.

" The first, " Dumbledore said, " Is that our fellow Order member Caradoc Dearborn has gone missing"

Something inside of Doe's stomach clenched. How could Caradoc be missing.

Doe felt the familiar twinge of loss wash over her. They had already lost so many people.

Gideon. Fabian. Benjy. Landon. Marlene.

She didn't think she could handle anymore.

" We will be arranging search parties to try and locate him, but it is unlikely that we will find him. There was a Dark Mark above his home yesterday evening" Dumbledore said quietly. It looked like he was having difficulty saying it.

Across the table, Emmeline Vance looked quite pale.

" My second bit of news" Dumbledore said, " Is also sinister in nature. It seems that from the copious amount of information that has been leaked, that we appear to have mole in the Order of the Phoenix"

There were several gasps around the room.

" A mole?" Lily asked desperately, her hand flew to her stomach protectively.

She looked over to Alice Longbottom who also had the same strained look on her face.

Both Frank and James attempted to calm their wives.

" Well who is it?" Molly Weasley asked Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed, " For the time being we do not know"

Emmeline Vance screwed up her face, " Well it's obvious isn't it? It's Snape"

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes from beside Dumbledore.

" The information was leaked before Severus joined the Order" Dumbledore said calmly.

" But he's a Death Eater" Emmeline cried frantically.

" Have we not discussed my allegiance at length?" Severus said with an eye roll, " I would have to be stupid to doublecross now"

Emmeline stared at him pointedly, crossing her arms.

" Its gotta be Sirius then!" Mundungus said from the other side of the table, " his brother was a Death Eater"

Sirius rolled his eyes, " I am not the mole"

" Prove it then!" Mundungus fired at him from across the table.

" Sirius, is not a Death Eater" Doe snapped at Mundungus angrily, " And he is not the mole"

" Well then it's you!" Mundungus fired at her, " What are you giving You-Know-Who secrets from inside the auror office"

" Meadowes is not the mole, Dung" Moody said angrily and catching her eye with his magical one.

Doe nodded at him, silently thanking him.

" Well it's Lupin then" Mundungus roared, " or Potter! Pettigrew! or Flitwick"

" Enough" Dumbledore said loudly, " fighting amongst ourselves will not solve the problem at hand, I do not wish for you all to accuse one another, I simply thought it my duty to tell all of you, so that you can be aware."

The room was dead silent. Doe couldn't believe there was a mole. She thought about it. Who among them would want to betray them. Severus was right, he wouldn't risk crossing twice. Come to think of it, Mundungus was a little curious, but he wasn't smart enough to pull it off.

Maybe it's Peter, she thought for a moment. She hadn't seen much of him lately.

She shook her head. She was getting paranoid now. Peter was their friend. It had to be someone else.

" I am afraid that that was all I had to tell you tonight" Dumbledore said getting up from the table.

Everyone else did too.

" A mole?" James said to them, " who could it be?"

Doe shrugged, " I don't know"

" Who could pull that off?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

" They'd have to be smart" Remus said.

" and very Powerful" Peter agreed quietly.

" Well there the worst kind of person" Lily snapped, " there is nothing worse than a traitor"

It was quiet for a moment while they all pondered Lily's words.

" I'm sure Dumbledore will figure out who it is" Remus said logically.

Jame and Sirius nodded in agreement.

" Lily" Doe said turning to her, remembering Remus and I's earlier conversation, "Since James and Remus are going to be busy with the full moon tomorrow, do you want to spend the night together?" Doe asked her.

Lily smiled brightly, " Oh yes! Definitely! We can have a sleepover like old times and we can eat ice cream and you can help to decorate the nursery"

" That sounds perfect" Doe told her. After the week she had had, nothing sounded more relaxing than that.

" Good," James said happily, " Now I won't have to worry"

Lily smiled at him and took his hand.

" I'm coming with you two" Sirius told James and Remus.

" I will, too" Peter said quickly.

Remus smiled at his best friends, " Thank you guys"

Doe smiled too, lucky that they all had such good friends.

Remus wrapped an arm around her and leaned in so he could whisper in her ear.

" I think I have a promise to fulfill" he whispered, " in exchange for you getting you here"

She grinned widely when she realized what he meant, and took his hand disapparating back to their apartment quickly.

" So do we like Doxy egg blue or Gryffindor scarlet?" Lily asked Doe holding up two magical paint swatches.

It was early the night of the full moon and they were sitting in the soon to be nursery with bowls of ice cream.

" I say Doxy Egg Blue" Doe told her, " as much as I love my house pride, you don't want to the kid to feel like he has to be in Gryffindor" she told her.

" As if he'd be in any other house" Lily said proudly holding her stomach, " with two Gryffindors for parents"

" Sirius" she said through a cough. Reminding her that not all children turned out in the same house as their parents.

" That's different though" Lily pointed out, " plus I'm surprised you feel that way. You love Gryffindor. Xeno Lovegood and all the Ravenclaws used to call you Gryffin _doe"_

" I remember" she told her , " I'm just saying, that adorable little baby could turn out to be intelligent enough to be a Ravenclaw or hardworking enough to be a Hufflepuff"

" And if he's cunning enough to be a Slytherin?" Lily asked.

Doe wrinkled her nose mockingly, " Give him up for adoption" she joked.

Lily and her both laughed lightly,

" He's going to love his Aunt Doe" she said stroking her stomach.

" Aunt Doe" she said proudly, " I like that"

" He's going to need your sense," Lily pointed out, " With three Marauders for uncles"

Doe laughed, thinking that there was no way this baby was going to get away without inheriting a little taste for trouble.

" A mini marauder in the making" she told her, tickling her stomach.

Lily laughed, " Im sure McGonagall will _love_ to hear that"

" Filch will be thrilled" she told her with a smile.

" Oh god, I hope he won't be there still when my baby goes to Hogwarts" she said shuddering.

" I'm sure he will be, him and his blasted cat" Doe said bitterly, " I'm going to have this kid give Mrs. Norris a good kick from Aunt Doe"

" Let's not secure him a detention before he's born" Lily said with a smile.

" You're no fun" Doe said with a smile.

She leaned back onto the small squishy mat on the floor.

" DORCAS MEADOWES" Lily roared at her, " Is that a hickey on your neck"

Doe sat up instantly and let her hand run to her neck, where sure enough there was a hickey. She smiled to myself, she hadn't even noticed it this morning.

Doe grinned at Lily, " Maybe"

She shook her head, " That wasn't there last night" she pointed out with a wide grin.

She rolled her eyes at her, a smile playing on her lips.

" You caught me Lils, me and Remus shagged" she said sarcastically.

" How shocking" Lily said in false surprise.

" To be fair," she pointed out, " I hadn't seen him in a week"

Lily laughed, " Doe you're talking to the friend who is pregnant" she said gesturing to her stomach.

Doe was about to make a witty comment when she heard a crash downstairs.

Lily and Doe both looked up quickly.

" Did you hear that?" Lily asked me quietly. Her eyes wide with fear.

Doe nodded and put her fingers to her lips. She took out her wand and got to her feet. Lily took hers out too and tried to get up.

Doe stopped her, "Lily no. Stay here"

" You're not going alone" Lily said firmly.

" Yes I am" she told her, " you're pregnant first of all, and second of all you're already on You-Know-Who's radar, so stay here" she ordered her.

She crept out of the room slowly and closed the door behind her. She held her wand out in front of her and crept closer to the stairs.

" ….. it looks empty Crouch, I don't think they're home" a voice said quietly.

" It's a Saturday night, where would they be Mcnair? Honestly, go and check upstairs" another hissed.

Doe panicked. Crouch. McNair. They were both on the suspected Death Eater's list.

She ducked behind one of Lily's poufs she had sitting on the landing. This way she had a clear shot at whoever came up the stairs.

It was McNair. He was a massive man. Doe didn't remember him being that big at school. She waited until he was at the landing and then cast a silent body bind jinx. McNair instantly crashed to the floor, causing a loud bang. Doe stepped over his body and crept down the stairs.

" McNair, what was that?" Barty Crouch Jr. asked coming into view.

As soon as he saw her, he begun to shoot killing curses. Doe dodged all of them, shooting stunning spells back at him.

One came so close to him. He panicked and disapparated.

Doe darted back upstairs to where McNair's body laid frozen.

" Expecto Patronus" she said conjuring her patronus.

" Go find Moody" Doe said and watched it disappear.

She pointed her wand at McNair's body and raised her wand again " Wingardium Leviosa"

She levitated his body downstairs and left it near the front of the door.

" Lily, it's alright, come down" she called to her.

Lily walked downstairs timidly. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw McNair jinxed on the floor.

" Where there Death Eaters here?" she asked.

Doe nodded.

" Do you have enchantments placed on the house?" she asked her.

Lily shook her head slightly embarrassed, " I meant too, it just slipped my mind"

She took out her wand and began casting them. When she was done, She heard a knock at the door.

Lily looked frightened.

" It's just Moody" she told her as she opened it.

When she did, Moody's large form shoved his way through the doorframe and stopped at the Death Eater on the floor.

" What happened?" Moody asked.

She told him everything. He listened to the entire story and nodded here and there. When she had finished he lifted his wand and levitated McNair's body out of the house.

" That's the second Death Eater you've caught now, Meadowes" Moody said, his eyebrow raised, " I'm impressed".

It was all luck. Right place and right time. But somehow telling Moody that seemed like a bad idea.

" That's my job" she reminded him.

Moody smiled and nodded, leading the Death Eater out the house.

" Maybe we shouldn't tell James what happened" Lily said biting her nails.

Doe nodded, " Maybe"


	90. 90 Night to Remember

Night to Remember:

They had ended up having to tell all of the Marauders about the incident at the Potter Home. Moody had insisted. James and Remus were both enraged that Death Eaters had shown up. Sirius was equally upset, but his anger was diluted slightly by how impressed he was by how they had handled it.

The evening was not an entirely bad one. After Moody had left, Lily and Doe spent the rest of the night talking and it had felt just like all of those late night sleepovers we used to have during the summers between their years at Hogwarts. It felt good to relive those happier times, now that so much was going on. They were greeted they next morning with good news as well. Turns out the Wolfsbane potion had done exactly what it promised and Remus was able to feel exactly like himself during the transformation. He said it was lifechanging. It had made her so happy. Remus finally had something that would make his life easier. She made a mental note to talk to Severus about seeing if he could make some more.

Meanwhile, Lily and James had decided to have a dinner party on Thursday night. It was the first Friday in a while that they hadn't had an Order meeting and Lily had insisted that it was important for them to have moments like these so that their whole lives were not consumed by the war.

So after work, Doe came home and Remus and Doe got ready to go to Lily and James.

" Zip me up?" she asked Remus, pulling her hair to one side and revealing her open back to him.

Remus took the zipper in his hand and zipped the dress up slowly, kissing the back of her neck when he finished.

She turned around smiling, " You look exceptionally handsome tonight" she said straightening the collar on the jacket Remus was wearing.

He smiled, " Why thank you, and may I say, you look lovely in red"

" Thanks" she said slipping on the heels she had left out.

" Do you know who is going to be there tonight?" Remus asked.

Doe shook her head, Lily hadn't told her who she had invited.

" I guess we'll see in a minute" Doe told him.

Remus nodded and a minute later they both apparatted.

Doe loved Lily and James neighborhood at night, it was beautiful. Without any muggle inventions like streetlights, all of the stars in the sky seemed to shine down on the cobblestone street below.

There was so much light from the stars tonight that for the first time, Doe noticed the sign that hung from their neighbors mailbox.

It said very clearly, Bagshot.

" Bagshot?" Doe asked as she approached it.

She turned to Remus excitedly, " You don't think this is Bathilda Bagshot's house do you?"

Both Remus and Doe had a deeply rooted love for Bathilda Bagshot. It was one of the interests that had started their relationship all those years ago.

Remus eyed it carefully, the excitement evident on his face " I don't know of any others, let's ask Lily and James"

Doe took his hand and they walked back over to Lily and James house, knocking on the door softly.

James opened the door quickly. A wand in one hand and a bottle of firewhiskey in the other.

" Moony! Doe! Good you're here" he said opening the door and letting them in.

They followed him into the living room, where everyone else was gathered.

Alice and Frank Longbottom were sitting together on one of the couches, both of them waved happily.

Sirius was sitting on the other couch with his arm around a nervous looking blonde. Peter was sitting alone in one of the armchairs, and both Professor Dumbledore and Slughorn were also seated in chairs around the coffee table.

"Lily's in the kitchen" James said as they sat down in the empty seats, " cooking up a storm and she won't let anyone help"

" I think you two were the last to arrive" James said continuing to pour the drinks, " Actually no, Mad-eye's not here yet"

" Moody's coming?" Doe asked as James handed her a cup filled with firewhiskey.

James nodded.

" So what he's trying to say" Sirius piped from the couch, " is do not get drunk because our boss will be here"

There was a knock at the door. James went to answer it.

It was Moody and he walked in looking directly at Sirius.

" When has my presence ever stopped you from drinking, Black?" he asked.

Sirius stared at him wide-eyed, " Bloody hell Moody, how did you hear that?"

Dumbledore let out a small laugh, " You would be surprised how much Alastor hears, Mr. Black"

Moody turned to Sirius " Constant Vigilance, boy! What if I had been a Death Eater?"

Moody and Sirius launched into the usual argument about his auroring skills. Remus and Doe turned to Frank and Alice.

" Alice, I love your new hair" Doe told her gesturing to her new pixie cut.

Alice smiled, " Really? Thank you, I've been feeling so strangely about it, what with the pregnancy. I think it's addled my brain" she joked.

" Have you found out whether it's a boy or girl?" Remus asked Frank.

Frank smiled happily, " A boy"

" Oh that's wonderful!" Doe said happily.

Alice and Frank beamed at each other, " We're thinking of naming him Neville"

" I love that name" she told her.

Alice smiled, " Thank you, it was my great uncle's name"

" Frank, Alice" Remus asked, " did you hear about the strike at Gringotts?"

The three of them launched into a discussion about the latest Goblin rebellions. Doe squeezed Remus' knee and told him that she was going to check on Lily.

He nodded and listened intently to Frank's explanation about the new policies.

Lily's dining room was just off of the kitchen. As she approached it, She started to smell the delicious variety of smells pouring from it.

" Lils?" Doe called as she opened the door. Lily was standing over a white cake, decorating it carefully with green and purple trimming. Her long red hair was pulled back from her face with a barrette.

She looked up at me and smiled, " Doe!" she said coming over and hugging her. Her belly slightly in the way.

" What a feast!" Doe said noticing the assortment of dishes she had laid out in the dining room.

" Too much?" she asked nervously.

" Not at all" Doe said admiring her handiwork.

" I did use magic" She said biting her lip anxiously, " I hadn't planned on using it, but it was just so much work" she huffed.

" Lily, that's what magic's for" Doe assured her.

She clutched at her stomach, " This baby is just making me so tired" she complained.

" So does that mean you're going to name him Doe then?" she asked jokingly.

Before Lily had a chance to object, Sirius strode into the kitchen.

" Not a chance, beautiful. They're naming it Sirius" he said reaching into Lily's liquor cabinet for a bottle of Black Cherry meade.

" Moody got you down?" Doe asked him.

He grumbled, " I swear that man is determined to make me look like a bad auror" he said bitterly.

" Maybe you are one" Lily said with a slight smile.

Sirius eyed her seriously, " Not funny, Lily" he said and left with the bottle in his hand.

They both giggled when he left.

" Who was that he brought?" Doe asked Lily as she sampled one of the cookies Lily had made.

" I dunno really. He did introduce me but I forgot her name" Lily said slightly embarrassed, " she was a Hufflepuff though, a couple of years behind us"

Doe nodded.

" I figured you would know her" Lily added, " seeing as you two spend so much time together"

Doe shook her head, " Sirius has too many conquests for me to know them all"

Lily laughed, " This is very true. Sirius isn't exactly the one woman kind of man"

" I don't get that though" Doe said shaking her head, " it's not like he isn't decent. He could have one if he wanted."

" You know him better than most" Lily pointed out, " plus I think Sirius likes it the way it is"

Doe shrugged, " I guess so"

" No way!" Sirius said to Doe loudly during drinks after dinner.

" Yes," she told him, " I'm telling you Augustus could be a death eater"

" Augustus Rookwood?" Sirius asked, " of the Department of Mysteries. Not a chance"

They were sitting in the Potter's living room and the subject of possible Death Eaters had come up.

" He's so odd" she pointed out, " and every time I talk to him he brings up my muggle mom, and the other day he went on about how powerful the Death Eaters were"

" He is a little creepy" Frank agreed.

" I dunno…" Moody growled taking a sip from his hip flask.

" Wait a second? Can it be?" Sirius asked excitedly, " Mad Eye Moody disagreeing with Dorcas Meadowes!"

" Don't call me Dorcas!" she hissed at him. Remus rolled his eyes, a slight smile on his face.

" I don't argue with her because she always does what she is told" Moody reminded him, " something you haven't yet grasped"

Lily tried very hard to hide her laughter. She was curled up under James arm on the couch.

" I think that Bones woman could be involved" Sirius pointed out.

" Amelia Bones?" I asked him, " She's way too nice"

" No she's not"

" Yes she is"

" She is definitely hiding something" Sirius said, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

" Okay, Sirius, Whatever you say" Doe said rolling her eyes at him.

Sometimes he could be so adamant about things.

" Moody if they're partners, I feel for you" Peter spoke up. He had been very quiet during this conversation.

" The only reason I let them is because they watch out for each other" Moody said, " They'd take a killing curse for one another"

Alice laughed, " I'd be more worried about them killing each other"

" We've come close a few times" she said smiling at Sirius.

He winked at her from his couch.

" But no one beats the rows you used to have with Prongs" Sirius pointed out.

" Oh I remember those" Professor Slughorn said, " even the teachers were surprised when you two ended up together"

" Well James was an arrogant git sometimes" Lily said with a smile.

" My loving wife" James said sarcastically.

The conversation turned to some of Lily and James more infamous rows.

Doe squeezed Remus' hand and leaned back against him slightly.

" Hi" she said to him.

He tucked some of her hair behind her ear, " Hello love"

From the couch next to them, Lily stifled a large yawn.

" Lily, you're exhausted" Doe told her.

" No, I'm fine" Lily said but her body betrayed her and another yawn escaped from her mouth.

" Remus and I have to head out anyway" Doe told her.

She frowned.

" We have to go too" Frank said, helping Alice up.

" I'm afraid Hogwarts will probably missing the two of us" Dumbledore said as both he and Slughorn stood up.

" I have to go too" Moody told her.

" We should probably get going too" Sirius' blonde date replied.

Sirius looked at her like she had three heads.

They all bade our goodbyes and headed for the door.

" Meadowes" Moody hissed quietly as they left the house. He pulled her and Remus aside.

" Keep your eye on Rookwood" he said, " But don't tell Black"

Doe blinked at him. " Don't tell Sirius?" she asked. Sirius was her partner and her best friend, why didn't Moody want me to mention it?

" You're my best junior and I don't want more than one of you working on this, got it?" Moody said.

Dpe nodded. Doe took any compliment from Moody, no matter how harsh it seemed.

He turned to Remus, eyeing his jacket pocket, " Er...Good luck with that" he said to him.

Doe waited for him to elaborate.

He didn't, he just disapparated.

" What was that about?" she asked Remus.

" Dunno" Remus said quickly.

She frowned, slightly confused. Remus took her hand and they apparated back to their flat.

When they got there, she kicked off her heels quickly. She wasn't a fan of them. She always panicked that she was going to have to duel in stilettos.

She walked into the kitchen and started to put on some tea.

" Doe, can you come back here for a minute?" Remus asked from the living room. His voice sounded slightly shaky.

" Is everything okay?" she asked him as she walked over to him.

He stood in the kitchen, messing with the sleeve of his jacket. He was pale and looked very nervous.

" I think you can do better than me" he said quietly.

She was so confused.

" Remus, we've been through this" she said quietly, " You're the only person I want"

She felt the tears start to form in the corners of her eyes. She couldn't deal with losing him again.

" No, don't cry" he said coming over and wiping the tears from her eyes. He pulled her into a tight hug.

He let go of her and looked at her seriously, " I only wanted to give you the option to go"

She bit her lip nervously.

" You promise me" Remus said looking into her eyes, " that you aren't here out of pity and that you would leave if you wanted too"

She nodded vigorously. Remus smiled and bent down to the floor. On one knee.

" Dorcas Euphegenia Meadowes" he said pronouncing each one of her given names carefully.

He looked up at her, " I love you more than I have ever loved anyone, and I care for you more than myself"

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvety box.

He. Was. Proposing.

Doe felt all of the air leave her chest.

He opened the box. Inside was a ring. It had a gold band and a round diamond. She was having difficulty breathing.

" So," Remus said taking a deep breath, " Will you marry me?"

Doe nodded quickly, " Of course I will" she managed to say.

His nervous lips upturned into a smile. He rose to his feet and pulled her into a tight embrace.

" I love you so much" she cried into his shoulder.

Remus pulled her face to his and kissed her quickly.

He put her down and took the ring out of the box.

She held out her left hand and watched as he slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly.

" You deserve something bigger-" Remus started.

She put her hand over his mouth.

" It's perfect" she told him.

She leaned up on the tips of her toes and kissed him deeply.


	91. 91 Life Altering & Life Ending

Life Altering & Life Ending:

The next morning, the first thing Doe did was check her hand, to make sure last night was real and not just an amazing dream. The ring sat happily on her left hand, sparkling in the sunlight.

She rolled over to look where Remus was sleeping. His head was buried on his pillow and he was still fast asleep. One of his arms was around her and she could see the scars lining the top of them.

She leaned over and kissed the ones closest to her.

A small smile formed on Remus' face.

" What are you doing? It's excellent" he said, his eyes still closed.

" Waking up my _fiance_ " she told him happily.

Remus opened his eyes and smiled widely.

" You have no idea how amazing that sounds" Remus told her pulling her close to him, " I still can't believe you said yes"

" You thought I would say no!" Doe asked in disbelief.

Remus kissed her, " I just never thought I would be that lucky"

Doe frowned and rolled over so that she was leaning over him. Her hair creating a dark curtain around them.

" I am the luckiest girl in the world for getting to marry you, don't forget that" she told him, leaning down to kiss him.

He smiled at her and she rolled off of him.

She crawled out of bed.

" Someone's excited" Remus said following her lead.

" I just can't wait to tell everyone" Doe told him happily.

" When are you going to tell Lily?" Remus asked.

" I was going to have lunch with her and James today at the Leaky Cauldron, I was hoping you could come" Doe said getting dressed quickly and shrugging on her auror robes.

" I can come" Remus told her.

She smiled happily, " Good"

" I'm going to go in a little early, okay?" She told him reaching up to kiss him goodbye. Remus' lips lingered on her neck.

" I love you, Doe" he told her.

" I love you too, Remus" she told him, " more than you know"

She kissed him goodbye once more and then apparated to the London entrance of the ministry. She took the women's bathroom entrance and was instantly brought to the atrium.

Doe made her way over to the lifts and got into the nearest one, pressing the second floor button. Frank was in it too.

" Morning, Frank" Doe said happily.

" Hey there, Doe. How are you?" Franks asked.

She grinned, " I'm great. Remus and I are engaged" she told him.

Frank's face lit up, " No kidding? Congrats. Alice'll be thrilled, I can't wait to tell her"

She smiled at him. The Longbottoms were like the Potters. They were what other married couples hoped to be like.

The elevator stopped on our floor and Frank and Doe walked together to the Auror Office.

She walked over to her cubicle, only to find a tired looking Sirius already at his.

" Sirius, are you actually into work, early?" Doe asked him.

" I had to get out early" Sirius said, " that crazy bird from last night was still there"

She laughed slightly. That was so Sirius.

" Speaking of last night" Doe said extending her left hand in front of him.

It took him a second, but then he spotted the ring nestled on her finger.

" Moony finally did it!" He said happily.

Doe nodded, trying to keep herself from grinning too hard.

Sirius pulled her into a hug.

" First Prongs and Lily, now you and Moony. Are you trying to leave me and Peter out of it?" he asked jokingly.

" Maybe if you tried to settle down" Doe started, but Sirius was already shaking his head.

" I do not fit the domestic lifestyle" he said sternly.

Doe rolled her eyes at him. She had known Sirius long enough to know that if he wanted too, he could settle down.

She sat down at her desk and opened Bellatrix's file. She had added several reports to it now. All of the deaths she thought were linked to her were now in there.

" Oh" Doe said remembering and turning to Sirius, " I'm having lunch with Lily, James and Remus and I wanted you to come" she told him.

" Wait" Sirius said smiling widely, " did you tell me before Lily?"

" It just worked out that way" she said to him.

It was too late. Sirius had already gotten far too excited.

" You love me more than her" he chanted happily and barked a laugh.

" I love you both equally" she told him, tossing a piece of parchment at him.

Doe spent the next hour, deep in a report from the ministry that had been sent to Bellatrix's home the summer before sixth year. It was a warning about using underage magic.

By now, Senior aurors were starting to arrive. Moody walked by the two of them and stopped.

" Morning" said said, not looking up from Bellatrix's file.

" Mm" Moody growled, " May I suggest you not wear your newest accessory to work. It may make you a target"

" How did you?" Doe asked in confusion. Her left hand was out of sight.

Moody tapped a finger to his magical eye, " I saw it in his pocket last night"

Doe nodded, the whole exchange from the previous night made sense now.

She slipped her ring off and put it in her pocket.

Moody turned around and looked at Sirius, " Impressive Black, you're not late"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, " I'm not always late"

" Sure" Moody said and stomped off to his office.

" Some days I think I might just kill him" Sirius said, watching him walk away.

" I say, do it" Doe told him, " It might be fun to have a Sirius folder around here"

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, while she laughed at her own joke.

Doe spent the next few hours very busy with paperwork. That was the least fun part of the job, but it was necessary. She charmed a few quills, so that they could fill out more than one at once.

Sirius was sitting across from her staring intently at a piece of paper.

" Bones is as clean as you are" Sirius said sighing.

" Then she must be filthy" Doe said grinning.

" Oh how terribly witty" Sirius said, tossing the piece of paper aside.

Doe's stomach grumbled uncomfortably and she realized she was going to be late to meet everyone for lunch.

Doe stood up and walked over to Sirius, " You coming to lunch?" she asked him.

He nodded and got up from his desk. They walked to the elevator. The lift came by and Sirius and Dpe walked in. When they saw who was in, they wanted to walk out.

Lucius Malfoy was standing with his wife Narcissa, Bellatrix and Rodolphus.

Sirius and Doe were standing in the elevator with two of the people they spent their days trying to find evidence against.

The elevator began to move and Sirius and Doe eyed the group with distaste.

" Look" Bellatrix said to Narcissa, " It's the trash of the family"

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, looking unphased.

" Is that honestly the best you can do?" Doe asked her, " actually scratch that I've seen your real O.W.L. scores and that probably is"

Sirius laughed loudly, but anger crossed Bellatrix's face.

" Why you filthy little-" She started but was cut off by Bellatrix.

" Don't waste your breath, Bella" Rodolphus said to her.

The expression he made, reminded her of Rabastan.

" Did my brother's little performance not convince you to hold your tongue?" Rodolphus asked her coldly, " or do you need him to give you a refresher?"

Doe stiffened, leaning as far back from him as she could.

" You and your Death Eater brother are not coming anywhere near her" Sirius fired at him as the elevator doors opened to the atrium.

" Sirius come on" Doe said taking his arm, " they aren't worth it"

Doe pulled Sirius out of the elevator and dragged him to the fireplaces.

Sirius looked highly irritated.

" How do you stand it?" he asked her, " didn't you want to hex their brains out?"

" Of course I do " Doe told him, " But I can't. I'd rather through them all in Azkaban"

Sirius looked like he understood but still was slightly annoyed.

They floo'ed to the Leaky Cauldron, but something was wrong with the fireplace. Both Sirius and Doe shot through it sideways, slamming into the bar and each other.

" Sorry guys" Tom said coming around and helping us to their feet, " the damn things broken again"

" It's fine, were okay" Doe told him. Sirius and Doe brushed the soot of their robes and walked over to where the tables were.

Remus walked through the door from London a second later.

He saw her as soon as he walked and pulled her into a close embrace, kissing her with much more enthusiasm than she was expecting.

" You two are revolting" Sirius said as they sat down at the table.

Doe grinned at him, " We're aware"

The waitress came over and they all ordered drinks.

Doe reached into her pocket and took out her ring, slipping it back on.

" Mad-eye" Doe told Remus.

He nodded, " I figured"

Lily and James walked into the Leaky Cauldron and joined them at the table.

" Sorry we're late" Lily said, " James won't let me apparate or floo"

" You're fine, don't worry" Remus told her.

The waitress returned and took all of their lunch orders.

" So, what's new with you guys?" Lily asked, her hand resting on her stomach.

Remus squeezed her hand. They exchanged a quick smile and then she turned back to Lily.

" Well," Doe said grinning, " We're engaged"

Lily shrieked so loudly, that the wizards a few tables away turned to them.

" Sorry" Lily apologized quickly, " I'm just so happy for you"

They all laughed.

" I was beginning to think you never would" James pointed out.

"I'm just happy she said yes" Remus said smiling at her.

" Like I wouldn't" Doe said kissing him quickly.

They spent the rest of lunch watching Sirius hit on the waitress and chatting happily.

After a while, they all had to return to work, So Sirius and Doe made their way to back to the auror office.

Doe took off her ring and slipped it into her pocket, sitting down at her desk. When She did She felt a piece of parchment in my pocket. She slipped it out. It was folded into a small square. Doe took it out and opened it gingerly.

The words on it almost made her drop it

Doe,

I'm sorry to have slipped this in your auror robes, but I couldn't risk being seen. I know I will be long dead before you read this, I expect I won't live longer than tonight. I've discovered something about the Dark Lord. Something that will likely destroy him. He will not pleased with me.

The point of writing you is to ask something of you.

Please tell Sirius, that I am sorry.

For everything. He's been right all along, and I should have known it. And tell him, I love him.

I am sorry for bothering you again, but I appreciate the help you've given me.

\- Regulus Arcturus Black

Doe didn't know what to think. She knew what she had to do, however. She walked over to Sirius and handed it to him soundlessly.

He took it from her and read it quickly. His face screwing up as he did. After a minute, he handed it back.

" It doesn't change anything" he said.

" But what did he mean?" she asked, " the thing that will defeat Voldemort"

Sirius shrugged, " He probably made it up, I wouldn't waste any energy on it"

Doe sat down at her desk and pocketed the note, deciding that even if it didn't mean anything to him now, Sirius might want it later.

She didn't realize at the time, just how important what Regulus wrote was.


	92. 92 Something Blue All Right

Something Blue All Right:

" Lily, why!" Doe begged standing on the street outside of the muggle shop.

Lily crossed her arms angrily over her pregnant belly, " Dorcas Euphegenia Meadowes, you are getting married, you need to try on some dresses"

Doe frowned.

Lily had convinced her to take the morning off from work to spend time with her. It had been hard to schedule but she had eventually she had managed it, but Lily had tricked her into going wedding dress shopping and there was nothing that she wanted to do less.

It wasn't that she wasn't excited to be getting married, because she was. But the idea of trying on dresses turned her stomach. She hadn't even gone dress shopping when Lily was engaged, she had Alice go with her.

Doe didn't know what it was about dress shopping that made her so nervous, but it did.

" Just a few, please?" Lily begged opening the shop door.

Doe sighed, sge didn't like to see Lily beg. She knew if she did, that Doe would agree.

" Fine, Lily. But only a few" she said.

Lily smiled brightly and dragged her into the shop. The little muggle shop was in the middle of London and you could see it from a block away. Its walls were slightly pink and all of the racks were covered with massive amounts of white dresses and tool.

" Hi" A chipper sales girl a few years older than them asked as they walked in.

She looked at both of them and smiled. She raised her finger and pointed at her.

" Let me guess, you're getting married right?" she asked happily.

Lily and Doe exchanged a quick look, before she nodded.

" So what are you thinking?" the sales girl pressed on, " Summer wedding? Winter? ooh or maybe fall?"

She blinked at her quickly, " I have no idea" she told her quietly.

The sales lady waved her off, " Don't worry about it, we'll find something perfect for you" she said grabbing her shoulder and dragging her to the racks of dresses.

Doe eyed Lily darkly, and she just giggled.

The saleswoman pulled a bunch of very fluffy dresses and set them up in a dressing room for Doe. She took one look at all of them and sighed.

Lily sat outside of the dressing room, while she tried one on of the dresses the sales woman had put in there. Every single one was strapless and fluffy. They looked like cupcakes.

" Lily," Doe said sticking her head out of the room, " everything in here is ridiculous"

She laughed, " Stay there, I'll find you something more you"

Doe was thankful that someone who knew her well was here and could choose something for me. Lily knew her so well that when she returned with a handful of dresses, she didn't hate any of them.

" Thank you" she told her taking them into the room with her.

All of the dresses Lily picked were much more simple than the ones that the saleswoman had picked out. Doe tried two of them on and didn't feel as though they were right. She slipped on the third one and stopped short.

The dress was long sleeved, and the entire top part was made of lace. The bottom was full, and it appeared to be all tool.

Doe didn't know what it was about it, but it felt right.

Doe spun around in the mirror, the dress was captivating.

" Do you like any of them?" Lily called from outside of the dressing room.

Doe opened the door and came out in it, to show Lily. As soon as Doe was out of the dressing room, Lily gasped.

" That's it, Doe" She said happily, " it's perfect"

" Do you think so?" Doe asked her spinning slightly so she could see the back in the mirror.

Lily nodded, " Definitely"

" That's a beautiful dress" the sales woman told her, " that's perfect for a winter wedding"

Doe took one last look at the dress in the mirror and decided she should get it.

" I think, I'm going to get it" I said happily.

The sales woman beamed, " Fantastic, I'll order it for you!" she said going to the front desk.

Doe took the dress off and changed back into her clothes.

A winter wedding. she liked the sound of that. Maybe December.

Doe changed into her clothes and went up to the front to buy the dress. Lily was almost annoyingly thrilled that I had found one. She gushed about it all the way to the tea shop.

" So you're thinking a winter wedding?" Lily asked happily.

Doe nodded, " If Remus is okay with it"

Lily laughed, " You could say you wanted a circus wedding, and Remus would be okay with it"

Doe smiled, " He's far too good to me"

Lily shook her head, " You're good for each other"

They entered the little tea shop and ordered. They took their tea and sat down at one of the tables near the counter.

" You don't know how happy I am that you and Remus are getting married" Lily said smiling.

" I'm glad, Lil. I'm happy too" Doe told her.

" Dorcas?" A timid voice behind her asked. Lily's eyes widened in surprise.

She turned around and almost spit out her tea. Standing in the little tea shop with a friend in tow, was her mother.

She hadn't seen her for two years. She looked exactly the same. Her wild curly hair was going slightly gray near the top, but she remained as put together as always.

" How have you been?" her mother asked.

The friend looked rather uncomfortable. She just stared at her. She had basically unceremoniously kicked her out of their house and hadn't spoken to her in years. Now she sees her again and all she had to say was ' How have you been'?

" Dorcas, answer me" her mother said firmly.

It was like her mouth wouldn't move. She was struck between anger and hurt.

She looked down at her hand, noticing the engagement ring.

" You're getting married? To whom, Remus?" she asked.

Doe didn't know what to say to her. She grabbed her bag and got up from the table.

Lily got up too, following her.

My mother tried to stop her as she left, " Dorcas, answer me" she pleaded.

Doe yanked her arm back from her and left the shop.

" Doe, Doe wait!" Lily's voice called from behind her.

Doe stopped down the street and let Lily catch up with her. She had momentarily forgotten that she was pregnant.

" Are you okay?" Lily asked her.

She nodded quickly, " I'm fine, I promise" she told her.

Truthfully, her emotions were on a roller coaster. Her mother was something she never knew how to deal with.

" Do you want to go back to my house?" Lily asked, " We could have lunch or something before we go back to work"

She shook her head, " No, I'd rather just go to work" she told her.

" You're sure?" Lily asked.

She nodded, " I'll help you get home first".

Doe walked with Lily back to the Leaky Cauldron so she could floo back to work safely.

" Promise me you'll be okay today?" she said before she stepped into the fire.

Doe nodded, " I will, Lily"

Lily hugged her tightly and then disappeared into the flames.

Doe waited until she was sure she was gone and then apparated back to work. It was much earlier than she told them she would be there, but she didn't care.

Doe made her way back to the auror office and sat down at her desk.

" Weren't you spending the entire morning with Lily?" Sirius asked. He stopped when he saw her expression.

" Why do you look like you've seen a ghost, and one not as friendly as Nearly Headless Nick" Sirius asked.

" I saw my mom" Doe told him.

Sirius flung his legs off of the desk and looked at her clearly, " How did that go?"

" I didn't say a word" she told him.

Sirius sighed, " Was it weird seeing her?" he asked.

" Very weird" she told him, " We're family and it felt like we were strangers"

Sirius frowned, "I'm probably not the best one to talk to about this, seeing as my family is so messed up"

" She just kept saying 'Dorcas' over and over again" she said bitterly.

" So I take it she's not getting an invitation to the Meadowes Lupin wedding" Sirius said quietly.

Doe sighed, " I'll be the only Meadowes in attendance I think"

When she got home later, she told Remus all about what had happened earlier. And while he supported the idea of a Winter wedding, he decided to hold his tongue about her mother.

" No, what is it tell me" she said.

They were lying on the couch, a quilt thrown gingerly over them.

Remus frowned, " It's just, you don't think you she misses you at all?"

Doe sighed and shook her head, " I think she misses Dorcas" Doe told him, " the muggle daughter that she wishes she had"

" I don't know if that's true" Remus said pulling her closer to him, " I find it hard to believe that anyone that close to you, could know you and not love you"

" She didn't accept me, or my lifestyle. She'd rather not know me, then know me as a witch" Doe told him.

" Well, it's her loss" Remus whispered in her ear.

She pulled him closer to her, thankful that at least she could count on him as her family.


	93. 93 Twice Defeated

Twice Defeated:

It seemed like Doe's life was moving very quickly. She was so consumed by everything happening that she didn't seem to notice the gradual slip from adolescence to adulthood. All of her time was accounted for.

If she wasn't at work or an order meeting, She was spending time with Remus, planning their wedding, or with everyone else trying to distract themselves from the burgeoning war that was erupting around them.

It seemed like the effortless years at Hogwarts were a lifetime ago. I guess that's what war does, it forces you to grow up.

All of the wizarding world was becoming much more nervous. Voldemort and his supporters had gained too much support lately. It was making even the most high ranking ministry officials nervous.

They had taken to sending out warning pamphlets. The violently pink fliers were meant to warn and prepare people for what to do, but Sirius and Doe had read through them at work one day and decided that Defense Against the Dark Arts: Grade 5 would do more to prepare people against Voldemort.

Even the Order meetings seemed to be getting more serious. The high death rates and amounts of missing witches and wizards had several Order members questioning whether what they were doing was really working.

" What even is the point, Dumbledore?" Hestia Jones asked at the Order meeting one morning " what we are doing isn't working"

" Well it's working better than doing nothing" Sirius pointed out from the other side of the table.

Hestia eyed him darkly and turned to whisper something to Emmeline Vance.

Dumbledore looked especially defeated this meeting. Doe couldn't blame him. He had formed this Order in order to combat Voldemort. He had done this without any benefits, and even though the work they were doing was helping, people were always ready to criticize it.

All of their attempts were somewhat successful, but it always seemed like somehow. Voldemort and his supporters seemed to know what they were doing.

It seemed whoever the mole in the Order was, they were keeping the other side well informed.

Moody had suggested to Dumbledore earlier in the meeting that they force feed all members a drop of Veritaserum, but Dumbledore had refused. Saying that force and coercion were agents that the other side used, and he didn't want to resort to those kinds of tactics. He claimed that the mole would reveal itself after a while.

" As for our next mission," Dumbledore said to the group, ignoring Hestia's comment, " we must gain more support. I would like to move to trying to gain the full support of the ministry of magic. Seeing as many of our members are currently employed there, it should be fairly easy to try and convince a few of the officials to support our cause"

" And how do you suggest we do that?" Emmeline asked.

Dumbledore's expression became more hard, " Well Ms. Vance, I suggest you use some of your stored Gryffindor courage and speak to them"

A few members blinked in surprise. No one had ever heard Dumbledore sound quite so annoyed.

" I think that that is it for tonight" Dumbledore said getting up from the table, " You all know what needs to be done"

Dumbledore stepped off to the side of the room with Professor McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn and disappeared.

Doe turned to Lily who was sitting beside me, " Dumbledore seemed quite upset, didn't he?"

Lily nodded, " I've never seen him like that"

" Well wouldn't you be?" Sirius said joining their conversation, " If everyone was always trying to question what you were doing all the time"

It made sense, Dumbledore had every right to be annoyed. It was just strange to see him like that. He was always so reserved.

" He's so stoic all the time" Remus pointed out, " He is human, he does have feelings"

Doe nodded, still thinking how strange it was to see.

" Listen" Lily said clutching James hand, " James and I were going to shopping for things for the baby, and you are all welcome to come if you want, we could lunch after"

" I'd love too" Doe told her. Remus nodded in agreement.

Sirius looked like he would rather duel a Death Eater than go shopping for onesies, but not wanting to be left out he said " Sure, I'll go, if we get food"

" I can't" Peter said quickly, " I have plans"

James looked quite surprised that Peter had plans that didn't revolve around the marauders but nodded at him and said, " Okay"

So the rest of them got up from the table and left Headquarters, apparating to the Leaky Cauldron.

" I'm been dying to go to that new little baby shop next to Quality Quidditch Supplies!" Lily said as they walked through the opening to Diagon Alley.

" I'd love to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies" Sirius said quietly under his breath.

Doe elbowed him in the ribs, so Lily didn't hear him.

" You didn't have to come Padfoot" Remus said.

Sirius shrugged, " You were all going"

They followed Lily and James into the small baby store and watched as they shopped for everything from jumpers to socks.

It was strange being in here. Everything was so small. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks, Lily and James would have a baby that would be able to wear all of this.

Remus and Sirius stood near the back of the store talking about Puddlemore United's recent win, so Doe wandered through the shelves and stopped at a little infant t shirt.

She ran it through her hands, amazed at how tiny it was.

" That's cute" James said popping out from behind one of the shelves.

" Very" she said placing it back on the shelf.

James was eyeing her strangely, with one eyebrow raised.

" James why are you looking at me like that?" Doe asked. The sheepish grin on his face was making her uncomfortable.

" Well," James said still grinning, " You aren't shopping here are you?" he asked his eyes dropping to her stomach.

" I am not Pregnant, James" she snapped.

James' smile widened and he burst into laughter, " It was a legitimate question, you and Moony are engaged"

" I am not pregnant" she repeated to him firmly.

" Alright, alright" James said holding his arms up in surrender, " one marauder baby at a time"

" One is enough for now" she told him.

James smiled, " Dorcas are you implying that my child will be troublesome?" he asked with a wide smile.

" That's exactly what I'm implying" she told him with a laugh.

James burst into loud laughter and ruffled the top of her hair, " Good one, Doe"

He smiled again and turned to Lily, who was asking what color of socks James liked better.

Doe decided to step away from the infant clothes and walk back over to where Remus and Sirius were.

They were still heavily engaged in Quidditch talk, but the lightened up slightly when she came over.

" Baby shopping become too much for you?" Sirius asked with a grin.

" I'm sick of the Potter's thinking I am pregnant" she complained.

Remus started coughing. She took his hand.

" You aren't though right" Sirius asked wide eyed.

" For the hundredth time, no" she said crossing her arms.

Remus coughing fit seemed to subside at her words.

" Good" Sirius said eyeing Remus and Doe seriously, " you two better not start that right away, I cannot deal with that right now. I already have to deal with Prongs getting all googly eyed over baby bottles"

Remus laughed, and Dpe smiled.

James had taken to being a father well. He was almost as excited as Lily was. Sirius was excited for them too. but Doe thought a part of him just missed the James who got more excited about the Comet two sixty then a pacifier.

Doe started to notice it had gotten extremely quiet. The chatter and laughter of people that had filled the street out Diagon Alley outside a moment ago was now gone.

Dpe turned around quickly and looked out of the shop window. There was nobody on the street now, and it looked much darker and there was a gray fog settling over it that had not been there before.

" Remus" Doe said tugging on the sleeve of his sweater, so he could see what she was seeing outside.

Sirius had noticed it too. He was peering out the window, just like Remus and Doe.

" Did you notice, it's gotten quiet?" she asked.

" And dark" Remus added.

" Maybe it's just-" Sirius started but his words were cut off by a loud bang.

The door to the shop door had just been burst through with an explosion. The glass at both the door and the window shattered.

Sirius grabbed both her and Remus by the shoulders and pulled them down to the floor.

Doe grabbed her wand out of her pocket, fearing the worst.

Doe couldn't see Lily or James. Sirius, Remus and Doe stood up quickly in just enough time to see several cloaked people enter through the whole of the shop, where the door used to be.

They were Death Eaters. Three of them, flanked by someone else who was cloaked but not masked.

Doe jumped backwards almost knocking Sirius over.

It was Voldemort.

All of them had their wands drawn and were approaching Lily and James.

" If it isn't just the couple I wanted to see" Voldemort said in his cold drawling voice, " Lily and James Potter"

They all had their wands drawn now, including Lily and James, but in one quick swoop. Voldemort disappeared and had both of Lily and James wands.

" Meven!" He shouted the anti-apparition spell at both Lily and James.

Sirius, Remus and Doe moved very fast towards them.

" Crucio!" One of the death eaters shot the cruciatus curse at Remus. Doe watched him fall to the floor, screaming in pain.

Watching him go down had distracted her long enough for one of the Death Eaters to grab her from behind, pocketing her wand.

Doe turned around in just enough time to watch, Sirius get taken down as well, inched from Voldemort.

Voldemort let out a low, cruel laugh.

He turned to the now frightened and cowering Lily and James, who were bound by magical ropes.

" It seems your friends are brave but unskilled" he said shaking his head.

She struggled against the Death Eater holding her back.

" Get away from us!" James snapped at Voldemort.

Voldemort smiled, " Foolish man"

" Crucio!"

Doe watched as James fell to his knees, screaming. His eyes looked like they were going to roll back in his head.

" STOP!" Lily screamed, " please, stop it!"

Sirius struggled in his Death Eaters grip.

" Be quiet, you foolish woman" Voldemort snapped at Lily.

James was breathing heavily, trying to recover from the curse.

" You have evaded me once" Voldemort said pacing in front of both Lily and James, " you will not do it again"

He raised his wand at them. Doe couldn't let them die. She had to do something. She struggled frantically against the Death Eater holding her there. Beside her Remus and Sirius struggled.

" I'm afraid they will" a voice behind Voldemort said.

Voldemort turned quickly.

Albus Dumbledore was standing in the doorway, wand raised.

His presence had momentarily distracted everyone. Sirius and Doe were trained to use this distraction.

Doe kicked her foot up at the Death Eater holding her. He loosened his grip for a second, it was long enough for her to plunge her hand into his robes and grab her wand, drawing it at him.

" Stupefy!" she shouted, watching him go down.

She spun quickly turning to Remus and Sirius who were both dueling with their own Death Eaters.

Dumbledore was holding off Voldemort, but she knew it wouldn't be for long. She stood in front of Sirius' Death Eater.

" Get Lily and James!" Doe snapped at Sirius, dueling with the Death Eater he had previously been.

Sirius looked momentarily worried but left her and bounded towards James and Lily. She was now standing beside Remus as they dueled the Death Eater's in front of them.

Doe caught his eye and tried to convey how much she loved him in that one look. He nodded slightly, and dodged a killing curse.

Doe sent a stunning spell at the Death Eater in front of her.

She watched as Remus spotted something behind the Death Eaters. A small smile on his face. He lunged to the side, grabbed her wrist and disapparated.

Doe felt the familiar tug behind her navel from side apparition, and a moment later they landed roughly on the stone street in front of headquarters.

" What about Sirius? Lily and James?" Doe asked Remus frantically.

" They got out," Remus said helping her up, " I saw them"

Doe let out a small sigh of relief, as Remus pulled her into a hug.

A moment later there was a pop, and Doe saw Lily, James, and Sirius appear beside them.

Doe threw her arms around Lily. She was crying.

" Are you alright?" Doe asked her.

She nodded, " You?"

Doe nodded and pulled both James and Sirius into a sloppy hug.

" We're fine, Meadowes" James assured her. Sirius patted her head.

Remus rushed over to all of them, double checking that everyone was okay.

" And Dumbledore?" Doe asked.

Sirius nodded, " He's fine, half of the Hogwarts professors showed up behind him, he told us to go"

Doe let out her last sigh of relief. Glad that everyone was okay.

" Come on" she said taking Lily's hand, " let's go inside and get cleaned up"

Everyone was pretty scraped up, with a few wounds, but nothing bad enough to go to St. Mungos.

" Doe, you're the best at healing spells" Remus pointed out.

Doe had had to learn most of the basic healing spells to help Remus after the full moon, so she took out her wand and cleaned up almost all of everyone's injuries.

They all sat quietly in the chairs for a few minutes. They were drained, physically and emotionally.

They had faced Voldemort. Something wizards and witches twenty years their senior hadn't done.

Remus held her hand tightly, stroking her wrist with his hand. She looked up at him. He offered her a small smile. She reached over and placed a quick kiss on his lips, and then sat back down in her own chair.

Neither one of them liked watching the other duel.

It was a few minutes before the other Order members arrived, but when they did. Everyone crammed into the study making sure they were all okay.

Dumbledore strode in last with Professor McGonagall.

He walked straight over to Lily and James.

" Will you please take me up on my offer and go into hiding?" he practically pleaded.

James and Lily exchanged a long look. They were communicating their thoughts silently. In complete agreement.

James shook his head slowly, " Not yet, Dumbledore."

Dumbledore sighed, and conjured another chair, " Then let's at least discuss ways to keep you safe"


	94. 94 The Depravity of the Dog and the Doe

The Depravity of the Dog and the Doe

Dumbledore's way to keep Lily and James safe without protecting them was to make sure that anytime they left their house besides work, they were being tailed. Sirius, Remus, and Doe had signed up for as many patrolling times as possible, knowing it would be easier on them then having unfamiliar faces. Both Lily and James apologized profusely but none of listened to them. They were their friends, it was their job to take care of them. None of them wanted another incident like what had happened in the baby store. Lily was getting even more pregnant by the day, and nobody wanted anything to happen to her or the baby, so they tried to patrol as often as they could.

One of the major reasons, the three of them patrolled so often was they knew that any one of them would take a killing curse to protect them, something that they couldn't guarantee from all of the other Order members.

However, Moody kept Sirius and Doe so busy that they couldn't protect them as much as they wanted too.

With all of the disappearances and attacks that were occurring, they were always out in the field. It was obvious Moody trusted them the most, so whenever someone very important went missing or was attacked he always sent them.

One morning he strode over to their desks looking very nervous.

" Meadowes, Black" he snapped, " Ollivander has gone missing, I need you to go to Diagon Alley and investigate it"

" Ollivander? the wand maker?" Doe asked him.

Moody nodded and turned on his heels, walking back to his office.

She turned to Sirius, the fear written on her face. He tried to offer her a small smile of confidence, but even that reflected the grim attitude he felt about it.

" It'll be fine, come on, beautiful" he said slinging his arm around her shoulder. They walked through the elevator and found Otto Bagman was standing in it.

" Hey Otto" Sirius said cheerfully, pressing the eighth floor button.

Otto looked solemn but he smiled anyway.

" Hey Sirius, Doe" he said, " how are you?"

" Good" I told him, " and you?"

Otto shrugged, " Trying to take care of Ludo's life for him"

" Is he still playing for England?" Sirius asked.

Otto shook his head, " No, he switched to the Holyhead Harpies"

Sirius nodded, and they talked for a few minutes about the team's winning streak and the new chasers, until the door opened to the atrium.

" See you, Otto" Sirius called to him as they left.

Otto waved quickly to us as the doors closed and the elevators disappeared.

Sirius and Doe walked through the atrium and disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron. It was empty today.

All of the chairs were stacked on the tables and even Tom was missing from behind the counter.

Doe looked to Sirius, who looked just as confused by this as she was.

They walked to the back of the pub and tapped the bricks to get into Diagon Alley.

The street was dead empty. Doe had never seen it without anyone in it. It looked so much darker.

Several of the shop windows were boarded up and a few had broken windows.

" What happened?" Doe asked Sirius, eyeing the place in disbelief.

" A war" Sirius answered quietly.

They walked down the street, looking at all of the shops. Further down the alley, a few shops like Flourish and Blotts and several apothecary's were still open, but were dark and empty.

Several rickety stands were also set up, claiming to sell items that would protect people from all sorts of dark arts and creatures.

The one closest to her read " AMULETS: KEEP YOU SAFE FROM WEREWOLF ATTACKS'

Doe eyed it darkly.

" Don't worry about it" Sirius said putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her away from it, " it's not worth the time"

They walked further until they got to Ollivander's. It looked like it was in bad shape. The windows were blocked with several boards and door looked broken. It was just a frame with half of the broken glass still in it.

Doe held up her wand and vanished the rest of the glass from the door, so that Sirius and Doe could crawl through it.

The inside was even worse than the outside.

The only time she had ever been to Ollivander's was when she was eleven, to buy her first wand.

The store then had been organized. Hundreds of wands and wand boxes had lined the shelves behind the counter.

Now, it was hard to tell what was what. Hundreds of wands and boxes were strewn across the floor. Several of them were broken. It looked like a war zone. There was no way Ollivander had just gone on vacation. He would never have left his shop like this.

Doe picked up a wand that was lying on the floor. It was beautifully carved, with flowers up and down one side. I put it back in an empty box and placed it on the counter.

Someone someday would need that wand. It would produce beautiful magic, and it didn't deserve to be strewn about on the floor.

" So he definitely was taken then" Sirius said eyeing the rubble around them.

Doe nodded, " I think so"

They walked to the back of the store. The hundreds of shelves that had once housed all of the different wands were now broken and the wands were falling everywhere. Behind the counter was a thick black book. Doe opened it, and was surprised to see it was a record of all the wands he had ever sold and to who.

The last one read

Macmillan, Henry - 13 inches Dragon Heartstring- July 13th

So that was the last wand he had sold.

Doe flipped through the book, going back eight years and read through the names. Stopping when she found the one she wanted to see.

Meadowes, Dorcas - 11 inches, Oak, Unicorn Tail Hair - August 15th 1971

Sirius came up behind her and looked at what she was reading.

He smiled and ran his hand up a few lines higher, pointing to another name.

Black, Sirius - 13 inches, Fernwood, Phoenix feather - August 15th 1971

" We went to Diagon Alley that day together, with your dad" Sirius told her.

Doe nodded. She remembered that day clearly. Sirius' parents had refused to take him, claiming that he had misbehaved. So her father had invited him to come with them. That was back when Sirius and Doe had been attached at the hip, before Lily and before the marauders.

It seemed strange to think about how long ago that was. She smiled at the page and closed the book.

" Seems like a lifetime ago" Sirius commented, looking behind one of the shelves.

" Thats because it was" Doe told him, helping him move a large shelf out of the way.

Sirius and Doe had been so preoccupied looking at their names in the book, that they hadn't noticed someone slip in the store.

They hadn't noticed them while they moved the shelves aside either, and she didn't notice when their friend joined them.

Had they turned around even a half a second earlier, they would have noticed that they were cloaked and were wearing masks. And they could have noticed that both of their wands drawn.

Instead, they only noticed their presence when they heard them utter the incantation together.

" _Stupefy!_ "

Sirius and Doe both whirled around, wands drawn in just enough time to see the stunning spells hit them both in the chests.

They fell to the ground on the piles of wands, unconscious.

When she finally came too, she knew she had been stunned. She felt the familiar shaky feeling in her head that she had felt so many times during auror training.

But she was surprised by the magical ropes she seemed to be bound by.

Her eyes shot open quickly. She was bound by magical ropes on the floor of a very large ornate sitting room. From the window, she could tell it was pitch black outside, making her wonder how long they had been here.

Beside her, was Sirius who was also bound and also coming too. His eyes widened in shock as he took in their surroundings. His eyes flew to her.

Their wands were missing. No doubt taken by whoever had stunned them.

She tried to apparate and felt the tug, but nothing happened. They must have used _Meven._

Doe eyed Sirius, She knew wherever they were, this couldn't be good.

Sirius looked like he was about to say something, but clamped his mouth shut as soon as the door opened and twelve masked and cloaked individuals walked into the room. Death Eaters.

Now Doe was really starting to panic.

The thirteenth person to walk into the room didn't need a mask. His face put the fear of Death in everyone who saw it anyway.

Voldemort.

" My guests, look who we have here" he said starting to smile.

He eyed our robes, " Aurors, I see"

He didn't know who they were. She looked to Sirius quickly , that was a good thing.

The Death Eaters around them removed their masks. Doe flinched as she recognized the faces.

Bellatrix. Rodolphus. Rabastan. Lucius. Mulciber. Nott. Crouch. Goyle. Crabbe. Avery. Wilkes. and Snape.

Snape. She knew he couldn't break his character. There was nothing he could do.

" I recognize them from that shop with Lily and James" Voldemort said eyeing both Sirius and herself carefully.

" My Lord" Bellatrix said practically jumping with excitement, " That is my cousin Sirius Black and Dorcas Meadowes"

Doe had to suppress the urge to correct her to 'Doe'.

Voldemort smiled coldly, " Thank you Bellatrix, that is most useful"

He stopped in front of Sirius eyeing him darkly, " So this is the young Blood Traitor Black" he said inches from Sirius' face, " I've had the pleasure of killing your brother"

Sirius struggled slightly against his ropes.

Voldemort just smiled again and turned to her, " And ah yes, this is Dorcas Meadowes, the auror who caught Rosier and McNair"

His cold fingers stroked the side of her face, " You've caused me quite a bit of trouble haven't you?"

She flinched away from his grasp.

" My Lord" Rabastan said, " she is the one we tortured in the shop"

He looked thrilled like he was reliving the memory.

Voldemort nodded, " Yes, of course"

Sirius struggled again, looking at Rabastan like nothing would please him more than to rip him limb from limb.

Voldemort stood and eyed both Sirius and Doe carefully, " You are both great witches and wizards" he pointed out, " I do not wish to shed useful magical blood"

Sirius and Doe eyed each other carefully. It had to be a trap.

" Join me," Voldemort said brandishing his arms wide to show them all of his followers, " and I won't have too"

"Never" Sirius snapped from beside her. He was struggling widely.

Voldemort clicked his tongue, " Wrong answer, my dear boy"

He turned to Doe, inches from her face, " And the pretty little witch?" he asked.

She recoiled from him, " Death first" she snapped.

He laughed, " Well young Dorcas, that can be arranged" he said smiling.

Sirius struggled again. She froze.

" First, however" Voldemort said in a voice that sent shivers down her spine, " you are going to tell me where your little friends Lily and James are"

She looked straight into the glowing red eyes in front of her and said " Never"

" CRUCIO!"

From somewhere close she heard Bellatrix shout the incantation and her entire body was swelled up with pain. She screamed the highest scream she could muster.

" STOP IT! YOU BLOODY-" Sirius yelled but was cut off by Bellatrix curse at him. They were both screaming in agony.

She would have gladly taken another torture curse than watch Sirius suffer it. His eyes widened and almost rolled back in his head, while his face stretched and contorted in pain.

" Im going to kill you" Voldemort said to Doe his lips just about on her ear, " unless, you tell me where your little friend Lily is"

" I don't know" she lied quickly.

" LIAR!" he shouted and she felt the cruciatus curse once more. Once again, her body contorted feeling the effects.

" If you do not tell me, I promise to kill you slowly and painfully" he said angrily.

" Then you'll have to kill me" she snapped.

He saw the anger in his eyes. His lips turned into a snarl.

" You, Dorcas Meadowes, are about to learn what happens to those who defy me. Death

will be a good thing for you." He said and a smile crossed his lips. He raised his wand.

" NO!" Sirius roared, " KILL ME! NOT HER! She knows nothing! Its me you want! DONT KILL HER!" he shouted.

Voldemort lowered his wand. He strode towards Sirius.

" He's lying!" Doe shouted. She couldn't believe Sirius was trying to do this. She couldn't let Voldemort kill him.

" Its me you want!" Doe shouted.

Voldemort's lips curled into a snarl again as he turned towards Doe.

" What is this? Chivalry? Affection?" he demanded of her. She pursed her lips tightly.

" Bravery is not something I admire, Dorcas" his voice was cold as he pronounced her name. His eyes flew to her hand. Where her engagement ring laid.

He actually smiled.

" So am I looking at the future Mrs. Black?" He asked, a malicious grin appearing on his face.

" Hardly" Bellatrix answered coming into view. " My cousin doesn't commit"

Sirius let out a noise mixed between a growl and a snarl.

He was silenced by another cruciatus curse. Doe cringed at each one of his screams.

Bellatrix was at Voldemort's side now.

"No. She probably got it from that filthy little werewolf of hers" Bellatrix scowled,

she turned to her " Lupin, was it?"

"Yes, I'm almost positive. She's been with him for years" She said to Voldemort.

He smiled, if you could call it that.

" Well, maybe we'll pay him a little visit after we finished with her" he said.

" NO!" Doe roared and struggled within her restrains.

He was in front of her in seconds. " You foolish girl!" he yelled.

" You think it wise? To fight? You're going to die exactly as you lived! Foolish!" he shouted and he raised his wand.

 _"_ _Crucio!"_

Doe was paralyzed the pain. It seemed worse when he did it, than when Bellatrix did it, like it was more powerful. And more painful.

Doe heard Sirius raging at each one of her screams.

" No one defies me Dorcas" Voldemort said firmly, he was so close to her now. She felt her chest rising and falling from the pain.

" Someone will" she managed to say, " it may not be me, or Dumbledore, but you are weak and someone will find that weakness"

Voldemort rose and for the first time she saw anger rise on his face. True anger.

He raised his wand at her, and she knew that this would not be the cruciatus curse. This would be the killing curse.

There was nothing she could do. She let her eyes slip shut and prepared for it.

But it didn't come.

Instead she opened her eyes to see a great black dog leaping from its ropes towards Voldemort.

Padfoot.

Just as it did, the door opened and Dumbledore appeared.

The Death Eater's hissed and Doe watched as Dumbledore sent a powerful wind from his wand at all of them. It looked like sand was everywhere. She couldn't see anything, but she felt a wand in front of her. She gripped it and realized instantly it was her. There was another one. It was Sirius'. She grabbed it too.

She felt someone grab her hand and she realized it was Sirius. She handed him his wand quickly as he pulled her to her feet.

They had to duel, she knew that. So when Rabastan stepped out in front of her, she was prepared.

" Dorcas,.." He drawled, " It's been too long". She missed the green flash of light he sent, by inches.

" Stupefy!" she shouted hitting him squarely in the chest. He fell to the floor clearly stunned. Doe turned. Sirius was dueling with Dolohov. He grinned and turned to look at her.

" DOE!"

Doe turned. Bellatrix's killing curse went right where she was 3 seconds before. She sent a curse at her. She dodged it.

" Im going to kill you, Dorcas, and save the dark lord the hassle" She screeched.

" Like hell you are" she snapped. She wasn't there to see her reaction.

Sirius latched onto her wrist and pulled her to her feet, and ran to a door to the left of the room. Doe hadn't seen the door before and wondered how Sirius had known it was there.

As soon as they were out of the room, Sirius grabbed her hand and disapparated.

They landed on an empty cobblestone street.

Sirius turned to Doe, " Are you mentally ill?" he demanded of her, " what were you doing in there? I was trying to save your life!"

" I was trying to save yours!" Doe yelled at him. Her cheeks were covered in tears.

Sirius' face changed from anger to something softer. He got back up to his feet and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

" I thought he was going to kill us" she sobbed into his shoulder. Sirius wrapped his arms around her tighter.

" He didn't" he said quietly stroking her hair. She buried her face tighter into Sirius' shoulder and sobbed. Sirius ran his hands down her back trying to calm her down.

" It's okay" he whispered.

They broke apart and she wiped the tears from her face.

" You're my best friend" she told him, hiccupping slightly, " I couldn't be there for that"

" That's good because I don't plan on letting anything happen to you, either" Sirius assured her.

She turned to him quickly, " How did you know about that door?" she asked him.

Sirius frowned, " I'd been there before. That was Bellatrix's childhood home"

Doe scowled, leave it to her to torture people in her living room.

A new thought occurred to her, " Sirius, he saw my ring. He threatened Remus" she said softly.

Sirius frowned, " You don't really think that's going to change anything, do you? You're still going to marry Moony" he said as they approached the little gate to Headquarters.

" I love him" Doe said quietly, hoping Sirius was right.

" He loves you too" Sirius said knocking on the door to Headquarters.

The door swung open without questioning and someone grabbed her and hugged her roughly.

" Procedures, Lupin!" Moody roared behind him.

Remus ignored him and hugged her tighter. She clung to him, trying not to bawl into his shoulder.

" I was so worried about you," Remus said choking slightly, " when you didn't come back and Moody told me what happened, I didn't know what to think"

Doe grabbed his face and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Moody opened the door and Sirius, Remus and Doe filed into the living room. She clung to Remus tightly.

" He had us" Doe managed to choke out to Remus, " Voldemort"

Remus shuddered.

" He almost killed us, Mate" Sirius said sitting down beside them, " Dumbledore saved our asses"

" Because Sirius wouldn't let me die trying to save him!" Doe implored.

" Good" Remus said quickly, " that's why he's my best mate"

There were very few Order members here right now. Only Arabella Figg, Deadleus Diggle, Moody and Mundungus Fletcher.

The door opened again and Severus came in looking highly disheveled. Sirius was on his feet in an instant.

" YOU SLIMY FILTHY GIT! YOU DID NOTHING! YOU WERE JUST GOING TO LET HER DIE!" he roared, trying to grab Severus by the collar of his robes, his wand pointed at his throat.

Severus bared his teeth.

" Sirius, stop!" Doe said pulling him off of Severus, " there was nothing he could do, his character is everything!"

Sirius ignored her protests. He started directly into Severus' eyes.

" You are very lucky that nothing happened tonight" Sirius said coldly, " because if he killed her and you did nothing, I would make sure you had a very slow, painful death"

The other Order members started pouring in then, and Arthur Weasley and Remus managed to pull Sirius away from Severus.

" I understood why you didn't do anything, you couldn't" Doe told Severus quietly. He nodded slightly.

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew how important Severus' role was.

The door opened again and a very pregnant, very upset Lily burst in, clutching James by the hand.

" Doe!" She cried and pulled her into a hug. She was crying.

" Moody told us what happened, we thought you were dead!" She cried into her shoulder.

She squeezed her, " I'm okay Lily"

She saw James hug Sirius very tightly.

" You ok?" James asked her. She nodded weakly and pulled her into a tight hug.

" Aw, Prongs" she said patting his back.

" This is all our fault" Lily sobbed letting go of Sirius, " they took us because they wanted us"

She shook her head, " No, it's not your fault" she told her.

" They would've killed us regardless" Sirius told her.

Lily sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

" He didn't find out where we were, did he?" she asked quietly.

" No" Sirius said quickly, " Doe made damn sure of that. Told him he'd have to kill her"

Lily gasped and Remus flinched at Sirius' words, pressing her tighter to him.

At that moment, Dumbledore strode into Headquarters looking very worn and tired. He walked over to Sirius and Doe.

" Are you two alright?" he asked.

Sirius and Doe nodded and Dumbledore turned to the rest of the group.

" We have much to discuss" he said, " but tonight is not the night. Go home and get some rest"

There was a shuffle as some people started to leave. Doe turned to Remus about to suggest they do the same, when Severus caught her arm.

" Doe, can I have a word?" he asked.

Both Sirius and Remus eyed him darkly, but she ignored him and followed him to the empty hallway off of the sitting room.

" What's going on, Severus?" she asked when they were alone.

Severus looked slightly worried.

" I have to discuss something with you, away from the ears of your little protectors" Severus said throwing a glance back at where Remus and Sirius were.

" What about?" Doe asked him.

Severus sighed, " Look Doe, you're a target now. A big one"

IDoe blinked at Severus' words and he continued to speak.

" He's furious with you. You refused him and challenged him. He knows you're a powerful witch, and now that you've made it clear that you won't join him, he wants you dead. Almost as much as Lily and James"

Doe was momentarily paralyzed with fear. She knew that eventually, they all would be major targets. But hearing that the most powerful dark wizard in the world wanted her dead, was making her knees shake.

" I know you" Severus said, " you don't like to be babysat. Which is why I didn't tell you in front of everyone else, but I told Dumbledore."

Severus now looked her directly in the eye, " Don't be stupid about this. Be careful and be watchful. Don't end up dead because you were lax about your safety"

Doe nodded, " I won't, I promise"

Severus looked very serious for a second and then he did something she never would have predicted.

He hugged her.

It was very short and he pulled away from her almost instantly but looked at her and said " Be careful".

He then disappeared down the hall. She walked back towards where Remus, Sirius, Peter, James and Lily were.

" What did Snivelly want?" James asked harshly.

Doe shook her head, " Nothing important"

She figured for now, she wanted to keep this information to herself until she could find a way to tell them all without causing worry and protection details.

Right now they needed to focus all of their attention on Lily and James' safety.

Remus brought her back to his chest again and whispered, " We should go home, you need some rest"

Doe nodded in agreement.

" Guys, I think I'm going to take Doe home. She's had a rough night" Remus told them.

" Of course" Lily said quickly.

She hugged her and then turned to Sirius, wrapping her arms around his neck.

" You're an idiot, you know that right?" she told him. He rolled his eyes laughing slightly and kissed the top of her head.

" Don't ever scare me like that again" she warned him, " and be careful getting home"

" I will, _mom_ " he said rolling his eyes.

Doe took Remus' hand and they left Headquarters. The second the door closed behind them, Remus grabbed her and kissed her passionately.

She let him, echoing his enthusiasm as she held him closer to her.

" I was so scared" he said when they broke apart.

" I'm fine" she reminded him.

" How could you even suggest to him that he kill you?" Remus demanded, his eyes welling up with tears.

" Rem" she said wiping his eyes with her sleeves, " He was going to kill me anyway, and I couldn't let Sirius get dragged down with me"

Tears were starting to form in her eyes. Remus wiped them away and kissed her again.

" I love you" he told her.

She smiled, " I love you, too"

Remus brought her to his chest and apparatted back to their flat.


	95. 95 Harry James Potter

Harry James Potter:

Their recent attack made Moody question how many field reports he had them do. He couldn't stop giving them altogether but he did radically reduce the amount of them. Sirius noticed and complained regularly about it. Doe reminded him that his is how she had felt after her first attack and that shut him up in front of Moody. Dumbledore had also taken notice of their attack and was limiting the amount of hours he would let Sirius and Doe patrol James and Lily, much to their dismay.

She was trying to avoid Dumbledore. Severus had told him about her being in Voldemort's sights and she didn't want him to tell anyone or suggest that she do something like go into hiding. She wouldn't do that. She couldn't be that useless. She had purpose now. She was an auror and a part of the order. She wasn't going to sit back in hiding, letting everyone else do all the work, just so she could ensure that she would be safe.

She couldn't bare the idea of someone getting hurt because she chose to sit out. So she was avoiding Dumbledore, before he could even suggest it.

Remus was also being extremely protective. Two attacks seemed to be the limit for him. He was terrified something was going to happen to me. She couldn't even imagine how protective he would be if he knew what she did.

It was better this way. It wasn't like she wasn't careful, she was. She was a trained auror. Completely qualified to protect herself, and she didn't intend on charging headfirst into any Death Eater infested areas.

This new information about Voldemort made her even more keen to stop him. She found herself working ridiculous hours for both the auror office and the Order. She was desperate to stop him.

She got very few hours of sleep. Most days she went to bed late and woke up early. It become almost a nightly routine for Remus to drag her away from files on the kitchen table and practically carry her to bed.

Work was now becoming slightly frustrating for her. She had twelve identities of people she knew were Death Eaters. People who she had seen while she was being tortured and still according to the ministry official guidelines there was nothing she could do.

A group of senior aurors had been sent to Bellatrix's home, but no one there but her parents, who claimed that they hadn't seen her in months.

The injustice of it all made Doe's skin crawl.

It was almost the end of work on July 30th, when a patronus interrupted her file reading. She had been curled up on the floor of Sirius' cubicle, reading the report that had been filed at Bellatrix's home, when the silvery stag appeared in front of Sirius and Doe.

" Lily's in labor" it said quickly, " come to St. Mungos"

Doe had had a late night before, so it took hearing the message twice to really register what was happening.

" Come on, we can duck out early" Sirius said as she got up. They both left the office and headed to the atrium as quickly as they could.

Lily was having the baby. Very soon, they would have a new person in the world. A little boy who was half Lily and half James. She couldn't wait.

Once they were in the atrium, Sirius and Doe both apparated quickly to the St. Mungo's storefront. They had been careless, and a muggle on the street stopped staring at them strangely, wondering how to people could have appeared out of thin air.

She shook her head and kept walking, obviously thinking she had imagined it. Sirius and Doe entered the hospital and immediately took the elevator to the fourth floor.

" Hi, we're looking for Lily and James Potter?" she said to the witch at the desk.

She didn't look up, " Maternity ward. Room 4"

Sirius and Doe walked to the wing of the hospital where she pointed and followed the room numbers until they came to the right room.

Doe pushed open the door to the room four, and found both Lily and James.

Lily was on the bed, clutching the side of it and looking very uncomfortable. James was standing beside her, asking what he could do to help.

" Nothing" Lily snapped at him, " it's your fault I'm like this!"

James looked shocked and didn't know what to say.

" Look" he said quickly, " Doe's here"

Lily looked up at her and smiled, " Oh, Doe. You're here. Good"

Sirius walked over to James and they started talking in hushed voices. Doe walked over to Lily's bedside and stroked her hand.

" I look horrible" she said shaking her head.

" You do not" she assured her, " and anyway that's not what's important. You're having a baby"

Lily smiled and then her face contorted in pain and she clutched at her stomach.

" You alright?" Doe asked quickly, feeling very useless.

" Contraction" Lily said through clenched teeth.

" Get me my wand" she said quickly.

" Why?" she asked her.

Lily turned to her, her ginger hair all around her, " So I can hex James for doing this to me" she said reaching towards the nightstand for her wand.

Doe snatched it from the table and held it behind her back, " Nope"

" Give me my wand, Doe" She said her hand outstretched.

Doe shook her head and pocketed it, " I won't let you jinx James, he loves you and only wants to help"

James smiled at Doe appreciatively but Lily threw her a dark look,

" You're supposed to be my friend" she reminded Doe.

" I am being a friend" Doe told her.

She frowned and then yelled as she got another contraction.

Healer Bones walked into the room and told them that they were going to move her into the delivery room.

Sirius and Doe decided to give them privacy and sat down on one of the benches outside of the rooms.

They sat there for a little while, just waiting for news.

Frank walked by after a little while, telling them that Alice had just had her baby, and Neville was a very happy, healthy newborn.

After that they waited about another hour on the bench. They had owled Remus and Peter but both of them were stuck at work for a while longer, their bosses weren't as lenient as Moody.

She was exhausted. She had been up for hours and she could feel her eyelids starting to slip closed. She kept trying to fight it but she was losing.

" Just go to sleep" Sirius said after a while, "you're exhausted"

She shook her head, " I don't want too"

" You're stubborn" Sirius commented.

Doe tried to fight it, but another yawn escaped her lips.

Sirius gave her a knowing look.

" Sleep" he ordered, " I'll wake you up if anything happens"

Doe bit her lip. She was exhausted.

" Okay fine" she told him, " But you have to promise me that you'll wake me up"

" I promise" Sirius said.

She closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, letting herself fall asleep.

She was able to sleep for a couple hours before she felt Sirius shake her awake slightly.

" Doe" he said, " wake up"

Doe's eyes shot open. Her head was in Sirius' lap and she had auror's robes strewn over her as a blanket.

She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

" Whats going on?" Doe asked quickly, " Is something wrong?"

Sirius shook his head, " No, he's born. James just told us. We can go in and see them now"

" Really?" she asked quickly, " let's go"

Sirius and De got up and walked over to the room where Lily and James were. Lily was lying on the hospital bed clutching something in her arms and James was standing next to her looking very proud.

" Harry James Potter" Lily said tilting the bundle of blankets down to reveal a small infant.

He looked just like James, everything from his messy black hair to his face shape. Except for his eyes. His eyes were almond shaped and bright green. They were Lily's eyes.

" Oh he's beautiful!" Doe exclaimed to both of them, " Congratulations!"

" He's quite the cute kid" Sirius said letting Harry grasp his finger in his tiny hand.

" Well we're glad you feel that way" James said grinning widely.

He and Lily looked at each other and smiled.

" Doe, Sirius" James said looking at them, " we were wondering if you two would be Harry's godparents?"

Sirius and Doe exchanged a look and then turned back to Lily and James.

" Us?" she asked.

" Are you sure you want us to do it?" Sirius asked.

They both nodded in unison.

" Unless you don't want too" James said, " In which case, we can ask someone else"

Doe shook her head furiously, just as Sirius said " No way!"

Lily and James both smiled,

" Good, because we want it to be you guys" James said happily.

" Do you want to hold him?" Lily asked holding Harry out to her.

She nodded and let her slip him into her waiting arms. He was so tiny, and so beautiful. She watched him look at her and she smiled. I'd never seen something so fascinating.

" That's a weird sight" Sirius pointed out, " Doe with a baby"

Doe rolled her eyes at him and Lily said " Oh hush, she's doing great"

The door to Lily and James room opened and Remus came in clutching a stuffed Hippogriff toy.

" Sorry I'm late" he said closing the door, " Is that him?"

Doe nodded and turned so Remus could see the baby in her arms.

" He's beautiful" Remus said stroking the side of his face.

" And here, I got this in the gift shop" he said handing Lily the hippogriff and hugging James.

" Aw, thank you Remus, that's so sweet" Lily said.

" No problem" Remus assured her, " Congratulations"

Doe walked back to Lily and gave her Harry, whom she then proceeded to let Sirius hold, with a very stern " Be careful".

Remus came over to her and kissed her quickly.

" Hi" Doe said leaning against him in his arms.

Remus smiled, " Hi, sorry I couldn't be here sooner"

She put her hand over his mouth to stop him from apologizing, " You're fine" she told him.

They watched as Lily scolded Sirius for not supporting Harry's head right and her argue with James for suggesting they start quidditch training tomorrow.

" He's perfect isn't he?" Doe said to Remus.

He nodded, " Absolutely"

Doe smiled and watched James pick him up and look at Harry with so much pride.

" Do you want to go get some tea?" Doe suggested to Remus. He nodded.

" We're going to get some tea, we'll be back" she said to Lily, James and Sirius. They nodded and Remus and Doe walked into the elevator selecting the fifth floor.

" When I walked in there and saw you holding him" Remus said, " my heart stopped"

" Good or bad?" Doe asked him.

" Good" he wrapping his arm around her.

She looked up at him curiously.

" I couldn't help but think that I would like to have one with you" Remus said tucking some of her hair behind her ear nervously.

" A baby?" she asked happily, " Really?"

Remus smiled and nodded, " I mean a little while after we're married, I don't see why not"

She reached up onto her toes and pulled Remus into a tight embrace, kissing him deeply. Remus held her there his hands on her waist, deepening the kiss and they only broke apart when the elevator doors opened revealing the tea room.


	96. 96 All Comes Down to Love

All Comes Down to Love:

The new existence of both Harry and Neville had brought a renewed sense of happiness to everyone. The war had stripped away so much good in their lives that it had felt for awhile if nothing would be good again, but the new life among them had put everyone, even sours like Mundungus, in good spirits.

Lily and James, and Alice and Frank, had both taken time off from work to spend time with their sons. Though, they still showed up to Order meetings with the babies. Now the first ten minutes of every order meeting was spent cooing over both of the little boys.

Both James and Lily had taken wonderfully to parenthood. They loved Harry. He was lucky to have such devoted parents. Doe doubted anyone would make as good parents as Lily and James were.

Surprisingly, Sirius had taken his job as Godfather almost equally as well. He adored Harry and was constantly talking about him. It was sweet.

He had even canceled a date the other night, so he could go to dinner ar Lily and James' to see Harry.

Doe suggested they take their lunch break on Tuesday and go see Lily and Harry. Sirius and Doe were overjoyed at the thought of getting to see them both. So at lunch, they left the ministry and apparated over to Godric's Hollow.

Lily and James' little house was covered with Tulips in the front yard. Making it look like it was nestled on a purple blanket.

" How does she have time to garden while she has a newborn?" she asked Sirius in disbelief.

" Uh, I don't know, magic?" Sirius asked, laughing slightly.

" Good point" she told him as they walked over to the front door and knocked lightly.

The little window on the door opened and Lily's green eye looked through it.

" Sirius? Doe?" she asked.

" It's us, Lily" she told her.

Lily blinked, " Umm, what did I ask you two to be at the hospital?" she asked questioning them to see if they were who they said they were.

" Harry's godparents" Sirius told her quickly.

Lily closed the little window and opened the door. She stood in the doorway with an apron on. Her long red hair was pulled into a ponytail and she had a few flyaways around her face. She looked like an ad for motherhood.

" Come in" she said happily, hugging both of them, " Harry's in the living room and I've just made some sandwiches"

" You can do everything, can't you?" Doe asked her as she walked into her house.

Lily rolled her eyes, " Oh come on, I'm not at work, I might as well do my household job well"

Sirius and Doe followed her into the living room, where Harry was lying on a blanket, looking up at the mobile hanging above his head.

" Aw. hi cutie" she said picking him up in her arms. He smiled and kicked his legs happily.

" How's my little godson?" Sirius asked, stroking Harry's arm as she held him.

" He likes you two" Lily said watching them, " he only ever smiles like that for me or James"

" Good" Sirius said happily, " We're his godparents, he should like us"

Harry smiled again and started to eat his own fingers.

" He likes me more" Sirius told her, grinning happily.

Doe eyed him in disbelief, " No way, he definitely likes me better"

Sirius looked at her like she was the giant squid, " Come on, Doe. He's a mini marauder. He responds to me. He knows I'll be able to teach him all the tips and tricks of ruling Hogwarts!"

Doe rolled her eyes, " And he knows I'll be the one to help stay out of detention"

Sirius rolled his eyes at her and took Harry from her arms, " It's okay Harry, I know your god mom is a little boring, but she gets more fun, I promise"

Doe stood up, ignoring Sirius' comment.

" Come on, " Lily said laughing slightly, " let's go have some tea, Sirius be careful with Harry"

" Oh come off it, Lily" Sirius said, " he's fine with me"

Lily and Doe laughed and walked over to the kitchen where she had put on a kettle for tea.

" So how has it been?" she asked Lily as they sat down at the table in her kitchen.

Lily smiled, " Harry's wonderful" she said, her eyes glistening slightly, " It's just, I get bored sometimes"

" Wrestling Harry's diapers not quite as thrilling as wrestling Death Eaters" Doe asked.

Lily laughed, " Not quite, though it's you I should be asking, how are you?"

Doe rolled her eyes, " Lily, Sirius and I's attack was almost a month ago"

Lily frowned, " it doesn't matter, I've been attacked, I know it takes a few months to shake the feeling"

" I'm good" Dpe told her.

Across the room, Sirius was bouncing Harry in her arms and he was looking at him with a look of pure happiness.

It was strange to see him like that. Doe spent a ridiculous amount of time with Sirius, and he had told her a hundred times that he was the perpetual bachelor, but looking at him right now, she saw that he didn't have to be.

Sirius could do the domestic life if he wanted too. If he found the right person, she could picture Sirius in the same position one day but holding his own child. She realized that she had been staring.

" Like what you see, Meadowes?" Sirius asked with a grin.

" If you're talking about Harry, then yes" she snapped back cheekily.

Lily laughed, " You two are too much, sometimes"

" We know" she told her taking a bite out of the sandwich in front of her.

Sirius turned back to Harry, playing with him again.

" Doe, I need to talk to you about something" Lily said quietly. She had dropped her voice to below a whisper, so that only she could hear her.

" Sure Lily, what's up?" Dpe asked her.

Lily frowned slightly, " You know that You-Know-Who wants me and James and no matter how hard everyone tries to protect us there is a possibility that we could be killed, yes Doe stop shaking your head"

Doe had been shaking her head so furiously at her words that Lily had noticed.

She continued talking, " So if something does happen to James and I, we want you to be the one to take care of Harry"

Doe's eyes widened at her words, " Me?" she asked her in disbelief.

Lily nodded, " You and Remus. You're my best friend and your Harry's godmother, and you and Remus are getting married, so he would have both of you, two parents."

She couldn't believe what Lily was saying. Of course she would take of Harry if anything happened to James and Lily, that was a given. But she didn't like discussing it. That topic was far too morbid to think about.

" So, will you?" Lily asked, her eyes were wide with concern.

She nodded weakly, " Of course I will, Lily"

Lily smiled, " Thank you, I know it's a lot to ask, but it really makes me happy that you would do this for us"

" Lily" she said seriously, " You can always count on me, without a doubt. You don't even have to ask"

Lily smiled, " You don't know what that means to me, Doe"

" Yes, I do" she said hugging her over the table.

" Thank you" she said softly.

Sirius came over then holding Harry in his arms. He was grinning from ear to ear.

" Look. Lily." He said happily, " he's smiling again"

" That's his hungry smile" Lily said taking him from Sirius.

" How can you tell?" Sirius asked her in disbelief.

Lily smiled, " He's my son, Sirius. I can always tell"

The little grandfather clock in Lily's living room rang shrilly. Sirius and Doe looked at each other knowing they would have to go back to the office.

" Looks like we've got to go Lily" Doe said sadly.

Lily shook her head, " Don't worry about it, I have to put Harry down anyway"

She kissed Sirius on the cheek and gave Doe a quick hug before taking Harry and disappearing up the stairs.

" Come on killer" Sirius said pushing her forward, " we've got work to do"

They made their way back to the ministry and spent most of the day pouring over records again. Moody was in and out of the office for the rest of the day. He was extremely busy and it made it very difficult for them to try and find a moment to discuss their suspects with him.

Doe spent most of the day looking into Greyback's past. Remus had been mentioning a lot about him lately and asked her to see if she could find out what she could.

Greyback's file was thick, but not with anything good. His file was filled with countless reports of the victims he had bitten. There were a lot of them. And what was more disturbing was that they majority of them were children.

She stopped when she got to Remus' report. It was weathered, seeing as it was over fifteen years old.

Remus had been four and he was attacked on his front lawn.

Greyback had positioned himself near Remus on the full moon in order to attack him. It was disgusting.

Greyback was exactly the kind of person that would be on Voldemort's side.

" You going to leave at some time tonight?" Sirius asked waving his wand to turn off the lights at his cubicle.

" Yeah" she said putting the file in her desk drawer, " I should go now, or Remus will be worried"

It was late, and she knew she needed to get home.

She followed Sirius out of the ministry and onto the London street, where they both apparated.

Remus was sitting at the kitchen table. A copy of the prophet was open in front of him. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing his cheek.

He smiled, " You're home".

Doe nodded and sat down, half in his lap, kicking off her boots.

" Long day?" Remus asked.

" Very" Doe told him, snuggling closer to him. He smelled the way he always did, like parchment.

" Sirius and I saw Harry and Lily at lunch" I told him. Remus put down the prophet and wrapped his arms around her.

" How were they?" he asked.

" They were good" she told him. She remembered her earlier conversation with Lily, " Lily asked me something serious today though?"

Remus frowned, " What did she ask?"

She turned around so they were both facing each other, " She asked me, if anything should happen to her and James that we would take care of Harry"

Remus looked confused for a moment and then regained his composure, " You told her yes, right?"

Doe nodded, " Of course I did"

Remus smiled and stroked her face with his thumb.

" You know, I still can't believe we're getting married" Doe said running her hands over his chest.

" You're going to be Mrs. Lupin" Remus said.

She let that sink in. She would be Doe Lupin. It had a nice ring to it.

" I'm beyond thrilled about that" she said curling up against him.

" You don't think it's silly, do you?" she asked him, " having a wedding in the middle of a war?"

Remus shook his head firmly, " I think that a wedding is an expression of love between two people, and that expressions like that are important even during troubled times"

She let him wrap his arms around her.

" This whole war, do you think it's going to end soon?" she asked him.

Remus ran his hands down her arms, " I hope so" he whispered in her ear.

" I hope it ends without anymore loss" she said quietly, " and no more death"

Remus turned around and looked at her seriously, " You alright?"

She nodded.

" I don't want to lose anyone else" she said sadly, " I can't"

Remus held her closer to him, pressing his lips to her head.

" I can't promise you that you won't lose anyone else" Remus said massaging her shoulders, " But I can promise you that I won't let anything to happen to you"

She felt a pit in her stomach when she remembered what Severus told her about being a target. Some things were out of Remus' and Doe's control.

" You're everything to me, Doe" Remus said, " I love you"

Doe bent down and kissed his arm, " You know I love you"

" This will all be over soon" Remus promised, " how much longer can it possibly go on"

She hugged him tighter to her and let him lead her to bed.


	97. 97 The Longbottoms

The Longbottoms:

" You look exhausted" Remus said to her a few mornings later. They were lying in bed and the clock had just chimed signaling the need for her to get up and go to work.

" I am exhausted" she said rolling over to kiss him.

" Then stay home" Remus told her, " I don't think you've taken even one sick day since you started at the ministry"

Doe got out of bed and shook her head, " I missed too many days when I was attacked"

Remus frowned, " That was legitimate, though"

She shrugged, " It's okay, I'll be fine. Work keeps me going"

Remus watched her as she got up and dressed quickly. They way he was looking at her, made her want to stay home and have him stay home too.

She got her stuff together, grabbed a biscuit from the kitchen before turning to Remus.

" I'll see you tonight, okay?" she told him kissing him quickly, " I'll try to be home early"

Remus laughed, " I won't hold my breath"

She frowned, " You're making me feel like a liar, Lupin"

Remus shook his head, " You're just severely dedicated to your work, and I happen to find dedication very sexy in a woman"

She grinned, " Then you must find me particularly so".

" As it happens, I do" Remus said leaning down to kiss her.

" I'll see you tonight" she told him before she grabbed her wand and disapparated.

The atrium of the ministry was very crowded this morning. It seemed like the entire ministry was crowded around a singular space. Doe buttoned her auror robes and walked over to see what the crowd was looking at. They were all crowded around the Daily Prophet cart. It looked like whatever the headline was today seemed to interest people.

Doe peered over the shoulder of a particularly tall Wizard to see what it was.

The headline read in large thick letters ' You-Know-Who Claims All MuggleBorns Stole Their Magic'.

The conversations of the witches and wizards surrounding the prophet cart were all about the sacred twenty eight and blood status.

Doe rolled her eyes and walked straight to the empty lifts. She pressed the button to floor two and let the elevator lurch downward and stop on the second level.

She walked to the auror office, slightly irritated.

Why was blood status such a concern for so many people. Why did matter how many magical parents someone had. She had grown up her whole life with one magical parent and one muggle one. It didn't have any effect on her magical ability. If someone had had a muggle parent who didn't mind magic, there would be no difference at all.

Most of the aurors were in the office already.

Sirius' cubicle was empty. Doe walked over to Moody's office. She knew what she wanted to ask him, but she was very nervous about it.

Doe knocked lightly on the door.

" Come in, " Moody said and the door opened itself.

Dpe walked into the office and let the door close behind her.

" What's going on, Meadowes" Moody asked not looking up from his desk, " didn't get attacked by another Death Eater did you?"

Doe frowned, " Oh, haha. I've been attacked by a lot of Death Eaters, can we move on?" she asked sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.

" Well," Moody said, " You have been attacked the most"

She rolled her eyes, " I've also caught the most Death Eaters, if you recall" she pointed out.

Moody let out a throaty laugh, " That's why I let you live"

She smiled. Moody didn't often compliment his aurors.

" So why are you in here really?" Moody asked, finally looking up.

She bit her lip nervously.

" Okay so I have to ask you something" she told Moody, " but don't jinx me if you don't like the idea"

Moody rolled his eyes and waited for her to continue.

" So, I know you know that Remus and I are getting married" she said taking a deep breath, " and I was wondering if maybe you would consider _walking me down the aisle_ "

She said the last part very quickly, hoping that maybe if she said it fast enough, Moody would agree to it without thinking too much,

Moody looked up at her curiously, making a face that she had never seen before.

He looked down at his desk again quickly, " Are you sure that you want me too?" he asked roughly.

Doe nodded, " Yes".

Moody blinked and then nodded, " Then, uh sure… I guess"

Doe smiled, " Thanks, Moody" she said getting to her feet and heading to the door.

" Meadowes, wait a second" Moody said as she reached for the handle to the door.

She turned around again to face him.

Moody looked at her for a second before speaking.

" Your dad, I knew him well, and I think he would be proud of the person you've become, and what you've done" Moody said intently.

She smiled, " Thank you"

Moody turned back to his desk, " Alright, now get out "

She opened the door and headed back to her desk, feeling very light. She always got this way when someone talked about her dad.

Moody had said that he would be proud of the person she had become. Not the auror. It made her happy to think that her dad would be proud of her.

Sirius arrived a few minutes later and sat down at his desk.

He looked very tired, like he hadn't slept for hours.

" You look tired" she told him, sitting down on the edge of his desk.

He sighed, " I am tired"

She looked him in the eyes sternly, " How many patrol shifts have you taken at Lily and James'?"

Sirius rubbed his eyes, " Enough"

Doe frowned at him. She was struggling with the same thing. She wanted to spend every free him she had trying to protect them, but both Remus and Dumbledore were stopping her. Sirius and Doe were supposed to patrol there tonight too.

" You can't exhaust yourself," she told him, " or you won't be any help if something happens"

Sirius sighed, " Well let's hope nothing happens then"

" Harry's getting huge" Sirius said, " I saw him yesterday and he looked like a different kid. He was sitting up and everything"

She smiled. She loved how excited Sirius got about Harry.

" I've only ever heard you talk about hook-ups with that much admiration" she pointed out.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, " Well, Harry and girls are my two favorite things"

" Spoken like a true bachelor" she said sitting down at her own desk.

She opened the memos that had been left on her desk. Most of them were about paperwork and questions about the Death Eater arrests. It was one of the most tedious things she had done so far as an auror, but it had to be done. She was in the middle of answering one from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Head's secretary when Moody stomped over to Sirius and Doe. He looked furious, but it was something else too. It was worry.

" Get up, both of you" he said quickly, " follow me"

Sirius and Doe both got up, our wands in our hands and followed Moody to the corner where he was standing. It was in the empty corner of the office. He obviously didn't want anyone overhearing this particular conversation.

" Something's happened" Moody said quickly.

Sirius and Doe looked to each other quickly, both of us silenting fearing the worst.

" Frank and Alice Longbottom have been attacked" Moody said barely above a whisper.

Doe's hand flew to her mouth, to strangle the gasp of surprise she had just uttered.

" Are they alive?" Sirius asked.

Moody made a strange face, " They've been rushed to St. Mungos. It doesn't look good"

Doe's eyes widened in shock. Alice and Frank were two of the kindest and most loyal people she had ever met, they didn't deserve this.

" Was it Death Eaters?" Sirius asked.

Moody nodded solemnly, " Listen I need you to go to there home in Surrey, they left their baby with a teenager last night, a babysitter while they went on an Order mission. Get him and bring him to St. Mungos, wait there for his grandmother. She's coming to get him, and they're going to wait for news"

Sirius and Doe nodded.

" Go" Moody ordered.

Sirius and Doe headed to the elevator at almost a run. She felt like something heavy had placed on her chest. Why Frank and Alice? She just hoped that Healer Bones would be able to do something to sort them out.

She was practically bouncing in the lift. Sirius eyed her with concern but didn't say anything.

As soon as they were in the atrium, Doe grabbed Sirius' arm and disapparated to the Longbottoms' home.

Sirius and Doe both landed on a little dirt road. She had never been to Alice and Frank's house before, but Lily had told her the address at one of their lunches.

The house was skinny and very tall. It looked like a little rose covered cottage. Doe could see touches of Alice everywhere, from the cheery flowers in the garden, to the little gnomes that were sitting by the white fence. It was like a silent blow to the chest to see the cute little house standing there without its inhabitants.

" Come on" Sirius said softly, nudging her forward.

They walked to the front door and knocked quickly. There was silence for a minute, before the door opened and revealed a young girl of about fifteen. She looked at them wide eyed and petrified.

" Um, hi" Doe said quickly, " were here to pick up Neville"

The girl looked at her strangely, " Are you the police?"

She must have been a muggle. Doe wished Moody had mentioned this before.

" The what?" Sirius asked.

She elbowed him to shut him up.

" Yes" she told her quickly pointing to their robes, " a special division, see our uniforms?"

The girl nodded and opened the door for them. The inside of the house was just as cheerful as the outside. Everything was covered with rose patterns and lace. It had a very warm feeling to it.

" He's in the crib" the girl told me, " it's upstairs"

Doe smiled at her as reassuringly as she could, " Thanks, I'll go get him"

She left Sirius with the girl downstairs and took the stairs to the second floor, hoping Sirius wouldn't say anything stupid to her.

There were only two doors on the second level. Doe stopped at the one that an ornate N painted on it, figuring that this must be Neville's room.

Doe opened the door and was immediately welcomed by a very brightly decorated nursery. There was a large crib in the corner. She walked over to it and found Neville laying there on a pile of blankets.

His eyes were wide and he had very chubby cheeks. He kicked his sock clad feet and smiled.

My heart ached. Here was Frank and Alice's son, being handled by aurors because they had been attacked. She tried not to think about it.

She picked up Neville and wrapped him in one of the blankets, keeping him secure in her arms. She walked downstairs where Sirius was listening to the girl go on about something with a look of slight irritation on his face. He lit up when she came down the stairs. Obviously thrilled with the distraction.

" Oh, you got him" the girls said happily.

Doe nodded, clutching tightly to Neville.

" So, I can go right?" the girl asked quickly, " you're bringing him to his parents?"

Doe nodded, " Yeah, we are. You can go"

The girl smiled slightly and took her bag from the door before disappearing out of the door.

" Thank god she's gone" Sirius said, " she kept asking me all these questions, speaking of which, what's poleese?"

" Police" she corrected him, " they're like muggle aurors or Hit wizards. They make sure laws are obeyed"

" Oh" Sirius said as his face scrunched in concentration, " That makes sense"

Neville cooed loudly, reminding of them of what we had to do.

" Can you apparate with a baby?" Sirius asked.

She shook her head, " It's not good for them, let's just floo?"

Sirius nodded and walked over to the fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder and handing some to her.

" You go first" Sirius said, " I'll follow you"

She took the floo powder and dropped it in the fireplace, saying " St. Mungos"

The green flames rose around Neville and her and he laughed happily trying to reach out to them.

The flames decreased and she stepped out into the lobby of St. Mungos.

A minute later, Sirius emerged from the same fireplace. Neville smiled at him.

Sirius led them over to the witch at the front desk who told them promptly to go to the fourth floor for spell damage.

Doe watched Neville still sitting in her arms smiling at all of the new sights, while Sirius and Doe walked through the fourth floor, waiting in the lobby.

She didn't want to sit. She was too anxious, so she took to pacing. Neville didn't seem to mind. He smiled at everything while clutching a piece of her hair tightly in his fist.

At one point, Dumbledore came over to them with a solemn look on his face.

" Dumbledore" she said quickly, " what's going on"

Dumbledore hung his head, " It isn't looking good, Healer Bones is with the Longbottom's now, but they are unresponsive"

" Unresponsive?" Sirius demanded, " what the hell happened to them"

Dumbledore removed the small cap he was wearing from his head, " Frank and Alice were on an Order mission when they were captured by Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr., they were brought into a situation very similar to the one you and Ms. Meadowes experienced, except Bellatrix managed to use the cruciatus curse enough times to cause permanent damage"

Doe bit her lip, " But why, Professor?"

Dumbledore hung his head again, " They are Order members, but I think it was to find out where Lily and James are currently residing"

Sirius gulped visibly and her stomach flipped.

Dumbledore bade us his goodbyes and had to leave to deal with some of the Healers, leaving Sirius, Neville and Doe alone again.

" Bellatrix did this" she snapped, hatred coursing through my body, " I _could_ kill her"

" She's foul" Sirius said, " we always knew this"

" I want to be the one to get her, Sirius" she told him firmly, " I want to watch her rot in Azkaban and know I'm the reason she's there"

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. She knew why. She wasn't ever usually this violent. She was the one who offered people second chances. But not with Bellatrix. She hated her. She had hated her since they were at Hogwarts together. She always knew she was evil and capable of something awful, but this was the last straw.

Neville looked up at me, screwed up his face and started to cry loudly. Her harsh voice had distressed him.

" Oh, I'm sorry" she said softly kissing the top of his head, " I didn't mean to be loud"

Neville continued to cry, despite her desperate rocking and attempts to console him.

" Here" Sirius said getting up from the chair he was sitting in, " let me try"

He slipped his arms under hers and took Neville. He bounced him slightly and started to whisper to him quietly. Slowly Neville stopped crying and looked up at him, wide eyed.

Doe blinked in surprise. She knew Sirius was good with Harry, but this was remarkable.

" Stop staring at me like that" Sirius said his eyebrows furrowed together.

" Like what?" she asked him.

" With that shocked expression" Sirius said bouncing Neville slightly.

Doe pursed her lips and watched silently as Sirius got Neville to smile brightly.

" There we go" she said stroking Neville's outstretched arm. He let out a little giggle.

" You have a beautiful family" said a passing female healer.

" Oh, we're not-" she started but she had already rounded the corner.

Sirius rolled his eyes, " We're wearing auror robes, how thick can she be?" he asked.

Doe shrugged, " I don't know"

" Do you want to hold him again?" Sirius asked, handing Neville to her.

Doe nodded and took him, grateful to have something to do with her hands.

They stood there for a few minutes. Sirius had managed to entertain Neville by making several ridiculous faces over her shoulder, that caused him to giggle loudly.

The game was interrupted by an older woman walking into the waiting room. She was dressed head to toe in green robes and perched on top of her head was a tall witches hat, with a stuffed eagle on top of it.

" Oh, Neville!" she gushed running over to Doe and stroking the baby in her arms.

" Are you Augusta Longbottom?" Doe asked her.

She nodded and wiped a tear from her eyes, " Yes, I'm Frank's mother"

She tried to offer her the best smile as she could as she handed Neville to her.

" This is just awful! Horrible!" Augusta cried while she bounced Neville, " my only son tortured at the hands of these monsters!"

Sirius looked to Doe quickly, trying to figure out if she should say anything. She shook her head slightly. He nodded, understanding her.

The door behind them opened and Healer Bones strode out, " You can see them now, if you all would like" he said solemnly.

Augusta nodded quickly and led them all into the room behind her.

Lying in two separate hospital beds, staring straight forward, was Alice and Frank. They didn't look up when they heard them come in, and they didn't answer to any of Augusta or Neville's cries. They just laid there frozen and unmoving.

" I'm afraid that the amount of cruciatus curse used on them" Healer Bones began, " tortured them into insanity. It is unlikely that they ever will recover"

Augusta burst into loud cries, that in return caused Neville to cry too. Doe felt the tears start to form in her eyes and slide down her cheeks.

Alice and Frank wouldn't recover.

Sirius took her by the arm and led her from the room. she didn't stop him. Once they were out of the room he bent down slightly to look her in the eyes.

" It's horrible, I know" he said softly.

She started to hiccup and Sirius pulled her into a hug.

" They're not going to recover" she managed to say, " Neville just lost his parents"

Sirius hugged her tighter, " I know"

When they broke apart, her face hardened.

" How could someone do this?" she demanded, " how could someone torture someone else like that?"

" They're horrible people, Doe. We always knew that" Sirius told her.

She wiped the last of her tears and nodded, following Sirius back into the lift. This had confirmed it for her.

Voldemort and his supporters had to be stopped. All of the lives they had already lost could not be in vain.


	98. 98 Last Good Halloween

Last Good Halloween:

The news of Alice and Frank's attacked had devastated the Order. Everyone was mourning what had happened to them and constantly asking her and Sirius for details. Lily and James had taken it especially hard. Dumbledore had begged them to go into hiding, trying to use what happened to Frank and Alice as a guide to what could happen to them if they didn't hide. But instead of convincing them to go into hiding, all the Longbottoms' attack had done was make James and Lily think they were a nuisance and a danger to all of them.

Doe had actually had to sit Lily down and tell her that even if Voldemort held a wand to her head and told her he would kill her if she didn't stop seeing her, she still wouldn't. Lily had told her that wasn't funny, but she had become a little easier to reason with after that. She and James didn't seem to realize that there wasn't anything that could come between all of them. They would rather die than stop being friends with them.

Dumbledore hadn't requested an Order meeting the night of Halloween so Lily and James had decided to have dinner at there place. It was Harry's first Halloween and they wanted to make a big deal out of it. Sirius, Remus, Peter and Doe were all going over to their place after work.

So on Halloween night, Doe came home and quickly pulled off her auror robes.

" I think I'm starting to forget what I look like out of those" she told Remus as she put them in the wardrobe.

Remus smiled, " If it's any consolation, I like you in them" he said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, " Oh do you?"

He grinned leaning down to kiss her, " Very much"

She wrapped herself around him and pulled him down to the couch with her, kissing him fiercely.

" We don't have to be at Lily and James for a whole hour, you know" she reminded him.

A wide smile spread across Remus' face, and he scooped her up in his arms leading her to the bedroom, and closing the door behind him with one flick of his wand.

They ended up being slightly late to Lily and James. She had miscalculated slightly and Remus and Doe were so immersed with each other, the time got away from them. Doe interlocked her hand with his as they approached Lily and James house.

" I think it was worth being a little late" she said as she knocked on the door.

Remus smiled so wide that his eyes crinkled, " I tend to agree"

Lily opened the door and smiled brightly, " Good you're finally here"

" Sorry, my fault we're late" she told her hugging her quickly as she let them into the house.

" I'm at fault too," Remus said, " I can't let her take all the blame"

Remus walked over to Sirius, James and Peter and greeted them happily.

" So why were you late, Doe?" Lily asked, a cheeky smile on her face.

" No reason" she told her smiling slightly.

" You're top is on inside out" Lily told her.

" No, it can't be" she said looking down quickly. Her shirt wasn't inside out.

Lily was smiling and winked, " Caught you"

Doe rolled her eyes, " Oh, hush Evans"

She laughed lightly and they all went into the sitting room.

Lily had outdone herself. She decorated the whole place just like the Great Hall at Halloween. The ceiling was covered with orange and black streamers and faux cobwebs. There were several large pumpkins positioned around the room. They had faces carved into them and every so often there would change their facial expressions.

Harry was sitting in James lap. He had just learned how to clap, and was doing it happily for the group of marauders clustered around him.

" He loves an audience" Lily said coming over, " just like his father"

James grinned, " He's just like me, you wouldn't believe the similarities"

" He looks just like you" Peter pointed out.

" Let's hope he has the quidditch skills" Sirius added.

" And the knack Transfiguration" Remus said.

" And his mother's brains" Doe said smiling down at Harry.

There was a chiming in the distance and Lily perked up.

" That'll be the dinner" she said getting up quickly.

Lily set out a wide spread on the table and they all sat down amazed at the amount of food she had managed to create. She had an entire cake that was shaped like a skeleton.

" You are an inspiration" Doe told her.

Lily rolled her eyes, " I enjoy doing this"

" It looks like you've got about ten house elves" Peter said.

Lily shook her head, " I've got magic, I don't need a house elf. That's something Petunia would do"

" She would" James agreed.

Lily shook her head, " And anyway I love household magic, and I wouldn't want someone else doing them for me"

" You know," Remus said, " I heard that there was a wizard in the ministry trying to pass a bill about granting house elves rights"

" Good" Lily said, " they should have rights like anyone else"

" It'll never pass" Sirius said shaking his head, " they're are too many families like mine that _adore_ having indentured servitude"

" But maybe if enough people rallied together" Doe suggested.

" It's hard to get enough support for something like that" Peter said, " and Power is everything"

" How does Control of Magical Creatures feel about it?" James asked Remus.

Remus frowned, " They've remained impartial so far"

" Well that figures" James said shaking his head.

Doe felt Remus' hand graze hers under the table, and she took it squeezing it happily.

He caught her eye and winked at her. She bit into the piece of chicken on the plate in front of her trying not to grin at him too obviously.

Meanwhile, he was smiling at her the way that made her want to grab his face and kiss him roughly.

" Earth to Remus, Doe" James said quickly.

Remus and Doe both looked up quickly.

" Sorry, what?" Remus asked.

James laughed, " Remember us"

She blushed deeply, " What were we talking about?"

" Quidditch, what else" Lily said with a sigh, as Peter and James argued with Sirius about whether the Chudley Cannons would ever make a comeback.

After dinner, Lily put Harry to bed as they all gathered in the living room to have drinks. Doe had decided to have firewhiskey and she felt it burn the back of her throat when she took the first sip.

She flinched as the last of the sensation died away.

" Still haven't gotten the hang of it, I see" Sirius pointed out.

" You don't have that particular problem, do you?" she asked him cheekily.

Sirius grinned, " No, I don't" he said taking a large sip from his glass.

" I'll never forget that party where Doe got drunk" James said leaning back in his chair.

Doe sighed, " I'm never going to live that down" she said to Remus, dropping her head on his shoulder.

Remus laughed, " It was quite entertaining"

" That was a fantastic party" Sirius said remembering it fondly.

" Not the best though" James said, " that was hand's down the Halloween party fifth year"

" Yes!" Sirius said in agreement, " that was amazing"

" I remember the hassle it was to find costumes" Peter said hanging his head.

" Hard to believe that was five years ago" Lily said.

" It was definitely one of the best nights of my life" Remus said, catching her eye and smiling.

" Mine too" she agreed, remembering that that particular party was where Remus had finally asked her out. They had been together for five years now. That was such a strange thought.

"Our parties sure were legendary" James said happily.

" But they weren't nearly as legendary as our pranks" Sirius pointed out.

Smiles crossed all of the marauders faces as they launched into the storied of their best pranks that had all of them in tears by the end of it.

It had been a wonderful night. One of the best Halloween's they had all had together. Little did they know, that it would be the last good one they all had together, and that at this time the following year, everything would be different. And everything would be changed forever.


	99. 99 Personally

Personally:

The death toll at the hands of Death Eater's was rising faster than either the ministry or the Order could contain it. It had left most of the wizarding world in fear that they were going to be murdered in their beds. It was the kind of paralyzing fear that left most of the wizarding establishments around London empty. Doe had to admit it even had her slightly terrified. So many people had gone missing and turned up dead. She constantly had nightmares of finding the Dark Mark hovering over her apartment or Sirius, or Lily & James house. It was her worst fear.

Everyone who was an outspoken target had become very nervous. Lily and James were putting on a brave face but it was evident that they were scared, and despite Sirius' mask of bravado, even he looked nervous sometimes. Remus was the only one who never let Doe see his fear. It was like he purposefully tried to make sure she never saw him scared.

Doe knew he was doing it so that she always felt safe, but it only made her more nervous. Every time she saw another disappearance or death all she could think about was what Snape had told her.

Voldemort and his supporters were killing and capturing everyone they thought to be a threat, and while she was grateful she wasn't a part of that list, it also confused her.

Maybe Snape had exaggerated how important she was to Voldemort. She hoped so. It would make her life easier, but there was no way to know.

The disappearances had worried everyone so much that Moody had approached about Sirius about Andromeda and Ted being possible victims.

Andromeda was a previous Slytherin and part of a pureblood elitist family who had become one of the biggest blood traitors by marrying a muggle born and having a child.

She was the only family Sirius had and Moody thought it would be a good idea to ensure her safety, so he was sending Sirius on a three day mission to create the fidelus charm and hide her and her family. The only reason that Andy had agreed was for her daughter Dora. She didn't want to them to get hurt because she didn't listen.

Sirius would be their secret keeper and because he cared about her so much he didn't even question the idea of going.

" Please, be careful" Doe told Sirius at his apartment the night he was leaving. She had come home with him after work to help him pack what he needed and it dawned on her then that he could get hurt.

" Stop worrying, beautiful. I'm going to be fine" Sirius said rolling his eyes.

" I don't like that you're going alone" she said crossing her arms. Since becoming aurors Sirius and Doe had done almost everything together, and it felt unsettling to send him off alone.

" I have to go alone" Sirius said shoving a tshirt into the duffle bag in front of him.

Shaking her head, she took it out and replaced it with a long sleeved, thicker one from his chest of drawers, " It's cold there" she reminded him.

Sirius smiled, " Thanks, Doe"

Doe nodded and handed him a pair of socks to put in the bag.

" I know you have to go," she told him frowning slightly, " but you have to promise me that you're going to be safe. Don't do anything stupid, and don't die"

Sirius laughed, " I'll do my best"

She crossed her arms angrily, " That's not even funny, I'm serious"

Sirius grinned, " Actually, I am."

Doe rolled her eyes at the familiar joke, but bit her lip, still worrying.

" Promise me, Siri" I said firmly.

Sirius laughed and pulled her into a hug, " I'm going to be fine,"

"You better" she told him sternly.

Sirius laughed, " Come on"

He grabbed his bag and they walked out of his room and into the living room. She followed him to the door.

" I'll see you in three days, Meadowes" Sirius said as she opened the door.

" See you then, Black" Doe told him, hugging him one more time before she disapparated.

She went back to her flat. Remus was already in bed when she got there. He was reading, but he looked up at her and smiled.

" Hello, love" he said leaning up to kiss her, while she curled up next to him under the covers.

" Hi" she said burying her head against his chest. Remus wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

" Did you help Sirius pack, then?" Remus asked.

Doe nodded and laughed slightly, " He's rubbish at it, he tried to pack for a summer vacation instead of November"

Remus laughed, " Sirius doesn't have the best foresight"

She nodded and watched as he turned the page in his book.

he turned it so that she could see the cover. It was _House Elves & Self Hatred. _

" Are you thinking of getting one or granting one's freedom?" she asked him curiously.

Remus laughed, " Neither, I just wanted to find out a little more about it"

" I can understand that" she said.

" It's just the way they're treated" Remus said, " the subjugation is kind of similar to werewolves"

Doe looked up at him and smiled, " Well I happen to love my werewolf"

Remus bent his face down and kissed her, " Good, because you're going to be Mrs. Werewolf pretty soon"

Doe smiled, " Nothing would make me happier"

Remus laughed and kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer to him.

Doe fell asleep that night in his arms, completely contented. And it was the first night in weeks that she didn't have nightmares.

Work was very boring over the next two days. She didn't realize quite how much time she spent with Sirius, until he wasn't there.

Moody had given her a series of odd jobs that didn't require her to leave the office at all. The furthest she had been from her cubicle in the last two days was to the Department of Mysteries to drop off a notice. And even then, Moody had had a Senior auror come with her. A man in his mid thirties names Dawlish, who spent the entire trip down asking her how it felt to be attacked by Death Eaters. His questioning was so annoying that when she got back to the office, she told Moody if he ever assigned her a babysitter again, She'd resign.

So after that, She spent all of her time in the confines of her cubicle pouring over reports, hoping everything was going okay with Sirius' mission. She didn't do well being cooped up and alone.

So on the morning of the day Sirius was supposed to return, She was in a much better mood. He wouldn't be getting back until later tonight, but at least today would be the last day she had to sort through papers in the office.

She had decided to get up early this morning and make Remus breakfast before she went to work. She had made pancakes and tea and set them all up on the table.

When Remus finally came out of their bedroom, still in his pajamas, he looked confused.

" Good morning" he said groggily, pulling her to him and kissing her.

" Morning" she told him waving her wand and silencing the shrilling teapot.

" Whats with the special treatment?" Remus asked.

" I just love you" she told him, " and I got up early"

Remus smiled while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

They sat down at the table at ate breakfast together, discussing their plans for today.

Doe was already dressed so she slipped her wand in her pocket and turned to Remus.

" I'm going to go, I don't want to be late" she told him.

Remus frowned, " I hate watching you leave"

" I'll be home tonight" she told him wrapping her arms around his neck.

Remus' hands were on his hips.

" I love you so much, Doe" Remus said holding her tightly,

" I love you too, Rem" she told him kissing him goodbye once more apparating to the street entrance to the ministry.

It was bitter outside today. She wrapped her auror robes tight around her as the frigid wind whipped by her face.

It was early November, it made sense that it was getting cold. Doe blinked thinking how strange it was that it was November again. Her birthday was coming up soon. It was hard to believe that she would be twenty, and her teenage years would be over.

She walked into the ministry grateful for the warmth that it provided.

She walked into the auror office and sat down in her chair. She felt like she was becoming permanently fused to it.

Moody greeted her with a nonchalant gesture as he walked by and headed to his office.

Doe spent most of the day buried in Bellatrix's family photos. It was strange how attractive the entire family was. It seemed looks were almost as important to them as blood status. Even the family that Bellatrix had managed to marry into was attractive.

As much as she hated both Rodolphus and Rabastan, she couldn't deny that they were both very handsome.

" Looking at their faces for too long may make you feel sympathy towards them" Sarah said lingering at the opening of the cubicle.

" It actually just fuels my disgust" she told her.

She laughed, " I feel you there"

Sarah had been in training with her, and she was nice enough but she always seemed a little floaty to her. She specialized in a different area of the office, she didn't work with Death Eaters, so Doe didn't see her often.

She turned to the empty desk where Sirius usually sat, " I miss seeing him around here, he's quite nice to look at"

Doe looked at her very confused, wondering why all of a sudden she was interested in girl talk, but she had just shrugged her shoulders and walked off.

She turned back to the photo album on her desk.

" Meadowes" Moody said coming over to her desk.

" Whats wrong?" she asked quickly.

" Come to my office" He said quickly and she followed him without asking questions. Moody's walk was kind of frantic and he assured her into his office.

Sitting in one of the armchairs looking terrified, was Peter.

" What's going on?" Doe demanded.

Moody ran his hand over his mouth and sighed, " Tell her what you told me, Pettigrew"

Peter hiccupped nervously, " I was in Diagon Alley and I overheard these cloaked people. They were Death Eaters, I'm sure of it. I could tell from the way they talked-"

" Out with it" Moody said roughly.

Peter flinched nervously, " and they said they had Sirius"

" What?" Doe asked loudly, " what do you mean?"

Peter bit his nail, " They said Bellatrix was going to be rewarded for capturing him, they said they brought him to Malfoy Manor, and they were going to torture him to find out where Lily and James where"

Peter burst into sobs. Doe couldn't believe what she had heard. They had Sirius, they were going to torture him. Her mind was racing as she tried to come up with plans to save him. Nothing was sounding good besides just bursting in there with her wand drawn.

She turned on her heels and went to leave the door. Moody grabbed her by the arm, his grip was tight.

" Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

" To save Sirius" Doe demanded.

Moody shook his head furiously, " No, we have to wait. We need to gather other Order members. We need a plan"

" He's being tortured!" she demanded, " I'm going, you can organize all of that after I've gone!"

" You're not going!" Moody demanded.

" I have too" Doe said to him. She practically screamed at him.

" You know he would go if it were me" Doe said sternly. Moody looked conflicted.

He turned to Peter, " Go, alert the rest of the Order" he ordered.

Peter nodded and left the room quickly. Leaving Moody and Doe alone.

" I'm going, Moody" Doe told him, " fire me if you have too, but I'm going to save him"

Moody shook his head, " I'm not firing you"

She looked at him still gripping her wand.

He took a deep breath, " Go, save Sirius. I'll gather the order and meet you there"

" Thank you" she told him and fled from the room.

She ran at the elevators and shoved all of the buttons until the elevator opened at the atrium.

She was frantic. She couldn't even think straight. Somewhere right now, Sirius was being tortured.

Doe ran through the atrium pushing past people and knocking some of them over. She couldn't stop she ran straight into the fireplace and apparated.

She had done it so quickly that when she landed, she slammed into the street with full force, her knees digging into the gravel.

Towering in front of her, was Malfoy Manor. All you could see from the street was a high iron gate with a large embossed M. The rest of the estate was covered in high hedges. Doe darted out of the street and behind one of them, trying to figure out to get into the house without being seen.

She shuddered thinking that somewhere in there, Bellatrix was taking joy in inflicting pain on her best friend.

She walked along the edge of the bushes trying to come up with a plan to get it, bursting through the front door didn't seem like a good idea.

Doe had been so preoccupied with getting in, she hadn't noticed that someone wasn't inside the walls, but outside of them.

" _Meven! Stupefy!_ "

The figure had stunned her instantly. And she fell to the ground at their masked feet.

The first thing she felt was dirt. Before she even opened her eyes was that wherever she was, it was dirty. She felt the dirt encrusted along the floorboards. When she did open her eyes, she realized what had happened, and she felt an overwhelming amount of shame. She was supposed to be an auror. How had she let myself get stunned again. The room was slightly fuzzy, but as it cleared up, she realized she was in a small abandoned house. It reminded her a lot of Headquarters, except it looked just like an abandoned house on the inside. She tried to move and realized that she was bound by the same magical robes as she was last time. She felt a pit in her stomach when she realized why she was here.

The door opened and the Death Eaters walked in. There were only a few this time. She saw Bellatrix, flanked by both Lestrange brothers and Lucius Malfoy. Doe watched as Mulciber and Barty Crouch Jr walked in, and then finally Voldemort walked in.

It was just the inner circle tonight. Only his most trusted supporters.

Doe wanted to close her eyes. She didn't want this to be real.

I heard him laugh. It was cold and malicious. Her eyes shot open.

He was smiling widely, " You know, Dorcas. I had heard you were a clever witch. Now I'm not so sure"

Realization washed over her. This was planned.

" You don't have Sirius" she said firmly.

Voldemort smiled again, " Ah, I see you're finally making sense of this" he said clasping his hands together.

It had been a trap. She felt so stupid.

" You see" Voldemort said, " I knew you would come to the aid of your dear friend Sirius,"

He was pacing in front of her and looked extremely pleased.

" You're kind are all the same," Voldemort said a wide smile on his face, "You are all fools. You're ruled by your love and compassion. It will be the death of you"

Doe ground her teeth together, " Better I feel compassion and love and be fooled by it, then live my life shameful and alone like you" she snapped.

" _Crucio!_ "

His torture curse was extremely powerful. She felt the pain fill every inch of her and she flinched trying to control her screams.

Voldemort leaned down inched from her face, " This is why I'm going to kill you Dorcas, you are foolish and you challenge those who are more powerful than you"

He raised his hand and slapped her full force across the face. Her face started to sting.

Voldemort stood again and started to pace,

 _"_ _Crucio!"_

The pain consumed her again. She was starting to see white around the edges.

" This will be fun" Voldemort said happily, " I want to see how long you last"

" _Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!"_

Doe couldn't move. She was paralyzed by the pain. Nothing had ever felt worse. It was all she could see and all she could think about. It rippled through every part of her.

Voldemort lowered his wand and clicked his tongue, " Now don't lose yourself yet, I haven't finished playing with you"

Doe was lying on the floor now. Her body was radiating with pain. At least it's me. That was all she could keep thinking. Better her be here, than Sirius.

" Aren't you wondering how you got here?" Voldemort asked, " don't you want to know how the great auror Dorcas was fooled?"

Doe eyed him darkly. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of answering.

Voldemort smiled, and it sent cold shots down her spine.

" You see" Voldemort said walking around me, " You were fooled by none other than the individual who has been leaking all of the information from the Order"

Doe sat up slightly at his words, her curiosity peaked.

Voldemort grinned, " In fact, why don't we have the informant join us now?"

He lifted his wand and the door opened.

The person who was standing behind it cause Doe more pain than the last torture curse.

It was Peter.

He was standing there looking extremely pleased with himself.

" Ah yes, Wormtail join us and see what your efforts have achieved" Voldemort said happily.

Doe was furious. Anger and rage filled every part of her.

" YOU DISGUSTING EXCUSE FOR A PERSON" she shouted at Peter. He recoiled at her voice.

" YOU FOUL LOATHSOME SPINELESS GIT!" she screamed. Her voice was echoing off every wall.

" WE WERE YOUR FRIENDS! HOW COULD YOU?-" she shouted but she was cut off by another one of Voldemort's cruciatus curses.

Doe had never been angrier in her entire life. She thought she was going to explode. How could Peter do this? He was their friend. He was supposed to protect them. They trusted him.

She knew she was going to die. She wished desperately that she could tell someone. Someone who could stop this. If she had to die, she wanted someone to know who the traitor among them was. But there was nothing she could do.

" Now, hush Dorcas" Voldemort ordered her, " you don't want to be rude"

Doe was fuming with anger. She wanted to kill him.

" I'm powerful now" Peter said sliding up his sleeve and showing her the Dark Mark.

" You should have died!" she snapped, " anyone of us would have died before we betrayed you"

" That's where you and wormtail are different" Voldemort pointed out, " like me, he knows power is the most important thing"

" That's where you're wrong" Doe told him, looking him straight in the eye.

She was feeling extremely brave. She wanted him to know everything she thought of him. He was going to kill her anyway. She wasn't getting out of it this time.

" You are going to lose because you don't know what's really important" she told him, " Love, compassion that's what's truly important"

She tried to think of all the people who she loved.

She thought of James and Lily, and baby Harry. She thought of Sirius. And she thought of Remus. She felt a lurch in her stomach. She loved them all.

" Oh is it?" Voldemort asked coldly.

She nodded bravely, adrenaline pulsing through her, " You'll never know those things. And that's why you're going to lose, Voldemort. Because, You. Are. Weak"

Doe watched Voldemort's face contort with anger. He raised his wand and pointed it at her.

Doe looked straight into his red eyes as he did it. She hoped he knew how much she meant what she had said.

She thought of everyone she loved. Letting herself miss them for a fraction of a second. She hoped they would be okay.

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ "

She saw the green light before she felt it. She expected more. She thought it would hurt. She thought she would see her whole life flash before her eyes. But she didn't.

She just felt her eyes slip closed, and death welcomed her.


	100. 100 The Pain That Follows

The Pain That Follows:

(James Potter)

There are some moments in life, that if you were prepared for, you could change. Not big life-altering ones, but the little moments that will haunt you for the rest of your life. The night of November 7th was one of those nights.

I had gotten Moody's patronus. It didn't say much, but it was urgent. He asked all the Order members to meet him at an abandoned house outside. It was in an old wizarding neighborhood that was pretty much empty at this point. I had been alone when I got it, having just left the ministry so I apparated quickly, landing in front of the house.

It was in disrepair and falling apart at the seams. I entered it quickly, not knowing what I was going to find in there.

Moody was in the sitting room. The inside of the house was just as trashed as the outside, but it wasn't the house I was looking at.

It was Moody. I had never seen him look like this before. His eyes were bloodshot and his mouth was pulled into a permanent frown. He was upset.

He looked at me with an expression of pure sadness as he turned to me. He kept looking back into the empty drawing room just past us.

I walked past him and into the drawing room. I wish I hadn't. I'll never stop regretting the moment I decided to walk into that room. It was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.

Sprawled on the floor, with her eyes frozen open and her hair pooled around her was Doe. It took me a second to realize what was happening.

She was dead.

I felt something in my chest constrict as I looked at her. Here was a girl I had known almost my entire life. A friend I had had longer than I hadn't, lying dead in front of me.

My hand flew to my mouth as I tried to fight back tears.

I turned to Moody, " What happened?" I asked angrily.

Moody wiped at his eyes, he didn't get a chance to answer. Order members were piling into the house. Dumbledore and McGonagall came through first and McGonagall's scream filled the room.

Dumbledore looked down softly, obviously upset.

Other senior members started to fill the room, each one taking one look at Doe's body and becoming too upset to speak.

I should have been more prepared for who was going to walk through the door next. I should have used my everything I had to stop him.

Remus walked through the front door frantically, " What's going on?" he asked trying to push past me.

Most of the Order was already here, with the exception of Lily, Sirius, and Peter.

They all looked to him with expressions of horror.

Remus pushed past all of them heading for the drawing room.

" Moony, No!" I tried to stop him. He shouldn't have to see that. But it was too late. He pushed past me and stopped at the edge of the drawing room.

His scream rippled through every part of me. I had never heard a more desperate sound in my entire life.

I stood next to Moody and Dumbledore and watched as one of my best friends dropped to his knees next to the body of his fiance.

He was sobbing as he clutched her body. It was slowly killing me.

" NO, YOU CAN'T BE DEAD. WAKE UP DOE" Remus cried clutching her tightly to him.

All of the Order members were dabbing at their eyes now. It was the most horrifying thing I had ever watched.

" DOE, PLEASE" Remus cried loudly, clutching her to him tighter, " YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP"

Dumbledore tried to reach down to Remus and pull him away from her, but Remus pulled away from him, still clutching Doe and sobbing.

" DOE. I LOVE YOU. PLEASE WAKE UP" he cried again.

I had been so preoccupied I hadn't noticed Peter and Lily walk past everyone else and make it into the drawing room.

" NO!" Lily screamed loudly upon seeing what was enfolding in front of her. She began to fall. I caught her in my arms and let her sob into my chest.

" No, Doe you can't be dead. You're my best friend. I need you!" she sobbed loudly.

Remus was still crying and clutching Doe to him. She looked so cold and so fragile. It was a way I had never seen Doe before. She was always so strong, and so brave. This was so wrong.

" What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Sirius asked coming into the drawing room quickly.

I had to let go of Lily. I knew this was going to be awful.

I watched the whole thing. I saw Sirius look down and see what Remus was doing, and who he was holding.

I had never seen Sirius look like this before.

His eyes widened quickly and recoiled backward like he had been hit with a killing curse. His entire face turned stark white and his mouth opened slightly. Tears began to pour down his face and he dropped to his knees.

He looked broken.

Lily ran to him, pulling him to his feet and into a hug. They were both her best friends, they shared that.

Sirius pulled away from her and turned to Doe's body. Ignoring Remus' desperate sobs, he bent down and closed her eyes.

Around him everyone was still crying. Remus sobs still the loudest. I moved to Remus, trying to console him. Lily was next to him now too, trying to pull him away from Doe.

I had never seen Sirius look so empty. He turned to Moody, a new look of pure rage on his face. Tears were still streaming down his face.

He only said one word, but the ferocity of it scared everyone in the room.

" Who?"

" It was Voldemort" Moody said quietly, " she was murdered by Voldemort"

" Why the hell was she here alone?" Sirius demanded.

He was shaking with anger. His wand was clutched tightly in his hand.

" I sent her" Moody said, " she insisted, nothing I would have said would have changed that"

Sirius raised his wand for a moment and I was sure he was going to kill Moody. But instead he let one more tear roll down his cheek before he disapparated, leaving it all behind him.

Doe's death changed everything. It devastated everyone.

Lily had forced Remus to stay with us. She wouldn't let him go home to the empty apartment. Not with it filled with all of Doe's things.

He hadn't argued with her. He hadn't said anything actually. He spent the next two days on our couch sobbing. He had become practically catatonic. No one could get anything out of him, and he wouldn't eat. He looked so broken.

I couldn't imagine what he was going through. If anything happened to Lily, I was sure I would have been the same way.

He wasn't the only one who was taking it hard.

I hadn't seen Sirius at all since the day we found Doe. It had been silence from him for two days.

Lily was desperate with grief, but she threw herself into planning Doe's funeral. She had spent all of the last two days, making sure that Remus was okay, and calling the cemetery nonstop. I had tried to help her the best I could be, but she insisted it was her job. It was her way of grieving, so I didn't try to stop her.

Early on the morning of Doe's funeral, I went to Sirius'. I needed to make sure he was okay, and that he was going to be there.

He didn't answer when I knocked the door, so I took out my wand and unlocked it myself. What I found in Sirius' apartment, was even more disturbing.

Sirius sat in one of the couches, staring at the wall in front of him. He was surrounded by empty bottles of firewhiskey and from the look of him, he hadn't showered or shaved in the last two days.

" Padfoot" I said to him, but he just held his hand up.

" Don't James" he said quietly.

" Are you okay?" I asked him sitting down beside him on the couch.

" No" he said firmly, " She's dead"

I moved the empty bottles of firewhiskey away from him and looked at him seriously.

" She wouldn't want you to do this," I told him, " she would want you to live"

" How can you say that?" Sirius demanded turning around wildly to look at me, " when you know how I felt about her?"

I blinked at him in surprise, "Still?" I asked him.

Sirius turned forward, " I never stopped"

A wave of guilt washed over me as I remembered the summer before seventh year. Sirius was thinking about it too. He had wished it had gone differently.

Flashback:

 _Sirius awoke and slammed his arm on the headboard of the bed._

 _" God Damn it" He said rubbing his forearm._

 _This was the third dream this week. It was always Doe. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself he couldn't or that it was wrong, he always had the dreams._

 _He had been convincing himself that it was wrong for the past year. Nothing helped. It was frustrating, he had never felt this way about anyone before, and there was nothing he could do about it._

 _Remus was happier the past two years than Sirius had ever seen him, and he knew it was all due to Doe. It wasn't fair. All Sirius could do was think about her, all of the time_

 _. He didn't know what he was going to do. He had to tell someone or he'd explode. He left his room at the Potter's and walked down the hall to James'. He knocked._

 _" Come in, Mate" James called from inside._

 _James was nestled in an armchair in the corning of his room, lazily throwing a snitch in the air and catching it._

 _" Can I talk to you for a minute?" Sirius asked closing the door and leaning against James' bedpost._

 _" What's up Padfoot?" James asked._

 _Sirius didn't say anything for a minute. He sat on the foot of the bed._

 _" So you know how you really like Evans right?" Sirius said._

 _" Yeah," James eyeing him questionably._

 _" So, do you always think about her?" Sirius asked running his hand through his hair._

 _" Yes," James answered._

 _" Do you, you know, dream about her?" Sirius asked._

 _" Yeah, what's all this about, Padfoot?" James asked._

 _Sirius crossed his arms._

 _" Do you?" James asked, he started grinning, " does Sirius Black actually fancy someone?"_

 _Sirius avoided his glance._

 _" You do!" James shouted and laughed, " Who is it? Come on, Padfoot. Who is she?"_

 _" It's complicated" Sirius growled._

 _" Who's the lucky bird?" James asked._

 _There was a moment of silence while Sirius gained the courage to speak._

 _" Doe"_

 _Silence followed for a minute. Sirius felt like he was going to explode._

 _" No" James shook his head, " You can't. Don't even go there Sirius" he said seriously._

 _" I'm not choosing this," Sirius said sternly, " I just can't stop thinking about her"_

 _" You've got to stop, Remus loves her" James said._

 _" I know!" Sirius shouted, " You don't think I've thought of that? I've told myself that a hundred times! I know she's with Moony, and I know they love each other, but I can't help it I love her too and I don't think it's going away just because I want it to!"_

 _" Sirius, you can't. I know you, you want her now but it'll pass. Someone else with a nice pair of legs is going to walk by and you'll leave her and it will crush Moony"._

 _Sirius didn't understand, he didn't feel about Doe like he had every other girl. This was different. He loved her, but James' reaction was enough for Sirius to know he couldn't express it._

 _" Yeah you're probably right" Sirius lied,_

 _He knew he couldn't be honest about this anymore._

 _End of Flashback_

I felt horrible as I realized what was going on. Sirius still loved her. He always had.

" You've got get up and shower" I ordered Sirius, " you're going to her funeral"

I had practically had to force him into the shower myself, but he promised me that if I left he would meet me at the cemetery.

So I went home and helped both Lily and Remus get ready.

Doe's funeral was going to be at the same cemetery in Hogsmeade that her dad's had been at. She would be buried next to him.

The cemetery was oddly cold during the ceremony. It was one of the worst things I had ever endured. I thought my parent's funeral would be the one that would haunt me the most, but it wasn't it was Does.

Hundreds of people had shoved up, including most of the ministry, every Hogwarts employee ( even Filch), and almost everyone who had gone to Hogwarts with her. I even noticed her mother was sitting in the row behind us.

I wondered if that would be comforting to her or not. I didn't know. Sirius probably would, but I didn't ask him. He sat next to Remus and Lily the entire time. He sat stoically staring forward at the casket.

Remus was beside him, bawling uncontrollably, and I saw Sirius lean over to him a few times and try to console him.

Even Severus, who was sitting beside Dumbledore, looked like he was tearing up.

The whole thing was unbearable to sit through.

Moody stood up to speak halfway through, telling the entire audience that Doe was one of the most exceptional people he had ever met. He told everyone how she was the most compassionate and brave person he had ever known. She was the best auror he had ever had and one of the best people.

Moody never spoke like that. It had brought people to tears.

Just before the end of the funeral. Remus got up to speak. He approached the podium looking like he wasn't capable of doing it on his own.

He looked up at the crowd assembled before him and said, " Doe was the love of my life"

He couldn't say anything else. He had come so overwhelmed with tears that his parents had to come and take him down from the podium and sit him beside them.

When it finally ended, almost everyone gathered around the garden and discussed the happy memories they had with Doe.

Sirius wasn't there. Neither was Moody. Remus was too upset to stay. He was going back to his parent's house.

After a little while, Lily and I had to go. Harry needed us.

I just hoped that everyone would recover from this.


	101. 101 A Few Weeks Later

A Few Weeks Later:

The environment had changed. Everything was different. No one was the same.

Sirius strode into the auror office after having not gone into work for weeks. He wasn't wearing his robes. He didn't plan on working today. He walked through the office quickly. Not stopping at his desk.

He went straight into Moody's office, not bothering to knock before he threw the door open.

Moody turned to face him. Sirius' stomach flipped as he saw what Moody was doing. He was hanging a large picture of Doe on the wall.

Sirius pursed his lips in anger. He didn't want to see her face yet. It was too soon. He thought death would be better than to watch the girl he had loved smiling down at him.

" What are you doing here, Black?" Moody asked, " have you come to formally resign?"

Sirius crossed his arms angrily, " I don't care. I'm not coming back here again"

Moody sighed, " She wouldn't have wanted that"

Anger fired inside Sirius.

" You don't get to say what she would have wanted!" Sirius demanded, " You don't get to talk about her at all"

" She would have been furious with you" Moody snapped, " she would want you to keep doing what you're good at"

" No" Sirius said angrily, " Stop it. It's your fault. How could you send her alone?"

Moody sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, " She insisted. She was going with or without my permission. I know now that I shouldn't have let her go. I should have stopped her"

" Damn right you should have!" Sirius shouted angrily.

Sirius turned on his heels to leave. This wasn't helping. He shouldn't have come.

" Sirius, wait" Moody called before he left the door.

Sirius stopped. Moody had only ever called him Black.

" She went for you, Sirius." Moody said quietly, " She knew she could die but she went to save you".

Sirius looked at him for a moment, and his expression softened.

But then it faded, and he slammed the door behind him.


	102. 102 One Year Later

One Year Later:

Sirius sat in his cell in Azkaban, desperate clinging to what he knew was true, and what he knew wasn't. He was imprisoned for the murder of his best friends. He was framed by Peter, and no one believed him, not even Remus.

He spent every day locked in a cell, for a crime he not only didn't commit, but one that left him raw with sadness.

He had lost almost everyone he had ever cared about, and now the only people left thought he was responsible for it.

He was Sirius Black. A Murderer. The Mole in the Order.

Peter had made sure he took the fall for everything.

Sirius was haunted by the vision of his face. He wanted to kill him.

His life was miserable. Death would be better.

The only thing he could cling to, was that Doe had never had to him like this.


	103. 103 Fourteen Years Later

Fourteen Years Later:

" …. and that's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally" Moody told Harry. The words tasted bitter in his mouth. He had never used them so casually before. It dawned on him that so much times had passed since Doe's death, that it had gone from a painful tragedy, to a casualty of war. Somehow eight simple words described the young women he had once come to love and respect like his own daughter. Moody felt an unfamiliar tug on his heart. It had been years since he had allowed himself to feel. Not since she died. It changed him too much. He had vowed he would never let himself care like that again. Caring made you weak.

" … and that's Sirius when he still had short hair" he continued.

He had already let himself feel too much. He had felt enough for a lifetime.


	104. 104 The Afterlife

The Afterlife:

( Doe Meadowes )

I expected more from the Afterlife. I don't know what it was exactly that I had expected, but this wasn't it. It was an abyss of loneliness. When I first go here, I was pretty much alone. I felt like I only had myself. That first year was torture. Spending day in and day out by myself, wondering how long I was going to be here immersed in my own grief.

Eventually I would see a familiar face. I found my dad and Marlene, but their presence didn't offer me much comfort.

It was a good thing that I didn't recognize many people. I was a premature death. I shouldn't recognize anyone. Recognizing anyone would mean that there was more tragedy, and I didn't want that.

It was a year of silence and darkness, that first year.

On Halloween night, almost a year after my death, Lily & James arrived. They clutched each other and told me the gripping tale of their murder and their now orphaned Harry. Voldemort had killed them too. We were united in that.

But even the faces of two people I had loved for ten years weren't comforting. It was horrifying to see them here. They should be living their life and raising their son.

I had died so that no one else I loved would have to die, and they had anyway.

The next fourteen years seemed like a hundred.

Lily and James made things slightly easier, but it was still hard. They were completely wrapped up in one and another. They tried to make it easier for me, but I didn't want to intrude on them.

They needed each other more than I needed them.

Everything changed for me here on a murky Friday evening. It was late, around midnight, when he arrived.

Sirius strode in with confidence.

He looked exactly as I remembered him at 20 years old, though in life he was 36.

The fact that he was here, should've disgusted me. The fact that he had died at any age younger than 100, should have tortured me.

But the fact that he was here at all, made me deliriously happy.

" Hello, Beautiful" he said with a wide smile.

I threw myself into his open arms.

It was as if no time had passed at all. We were once again the two twenty something best friends.

" Damn you for going by yourself" Sirius said as he hugged me tighter, " you should've waited for me"

It was just like him to remind me how stupid I had been in life.

" I know, I'm sorry" I said burying my face in his shoulder.

" Don't worry, I'm here now" Sirius said patting my back.

We dropped our embrace and I watched as he hugged both James and Lily with the as much passion and longing as he had with me.

Sirius filled us in on the world we had left behind. He told us the stories of our loved ones and the raging war that had started up again. My heart ached at any mention of Remus. I couldn't handle the details. Not yet.

Sirius' presence ended up helping me tremendously. As Lily and James were so wrapped up in one another that it left Sirius and I with almost all of our time together.

The next two years were the happiest I had been since I had been here. Even Moody ended up with us.

I still remember the day it all changed.

We began seeing people early in the day, but we didn't begin to understand the gravity of the deaths until later.

Sirius and I sat by the opening, listening to all the stories.

" A war. A battle. A Battle at Hogwarts. Death Eaters were storming the castle and taking lives"

It seemed impossible. A battle of Hogwarts was the stuff of stories.

We waited for hours as the people trickled in.

Molly and Arthur Weasley's son Fred was among those who didn't make it.

But it was the arrival of the next two, who really changed everything.

It was Remus.

A tired, 38 year old Remus, but it was him.

I froze about ten feet in front of him. He was exactly as I pictured he would look as an adult.

His gaze fell upon me and it must've been strange, because I looked exactly as I had before.

His eyes softened, " Doe" he said.

Every emotion flooded through me as he said my name, like he had so many times before.

" Rem"

We moved towards each other and he hugged me tightly.

When we broke apart, he looked at me intently, " You look exactly as I remember" he told me.

I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped short.

There was a woman next to Remus, she was around my age.

She had short bubblegum pink hair and she and she wrapped her arm through Remus'.

" Whose this?" She asked looking to Remus. She was very bubbly.

Remus' eyes darted from mine to hers.

" This is Doe Meadowes" he said to her softly.

" Hi" she said brightly extending her hand to me, " I'm Tonks, Remus' wife"

I involuntarily jumped back from her hand.

Wife.

I let that word sink in. This woman, this Tonks, was Remus' wife.

She was married to Remus. I felt weak, like I couldn't stand.

On my hand, the 17 year old engagement ring felt as though it weighed a ton.

My knees began to buckle underneath me.

Tonks retreated her hand, obviously hurt.

Meanwhile, my mind was racing. Tonks. As in Ted and Andromeda? I went to their wedding. I had a sudden realization as I recalled the pink hair.

She was their daughter. She was Nymphadora.

Remus was married to the Andy's daughter. A girl I had grown up with.

I could hear Sirius behind me.

" Remus it's so good to see you, Mate" he said, obviously trying to diffuse the tension.

" I wish it were under better circumstances" Remus agreed.

" Sirius" Tonks said happily, " you know you have a new cousin, now"

" You had a baby?" Sirius asked incredulously.

They had a baby.

I could feel the tears rolling down my face.

" Doe, please don't cry" Remus said quickly. He looked like he was coming towards me.

I couldn't handle this. It was all too much.

So I fled.

I could hear everyone calling after me, but I just kept running.

Every emotion was flooding through me. I was jealous, insanely so.

This Tonks was living my life.

I was supposed to marry Remus. We were supposed to have a baby. It was supposed to be us.

Then I felt a twinge of guilt.

How could I be upset that Remus was able to pick up the pieces of his life and be happy.

It was selfish of me not to want that for him. I had been dead for seventeen years. Of course he had moved on.

It was just painful to be reminded that I wasn't a part of his life anymore. That was what my life was supposed to be.

I brought my knees up to my chest and cried. So far I had refused to let myself cry. But I did now. I let myself cry for the life I should have lived, and for the last seventeen years I should have had.

" Come on, wake up Doe" Sirius said as he gently shook me awake.

I was still curled up. Sirius had sat down next to me.

" It's okay" he said bringing me into a hug just like he used to.

" He's married with a baby" I sobbed into Sirius' chest.

He stroked my hair, " I know, Doe, but he wanted that with you. It just didn't work out that way"

I buried my face deeper against him.

" We went to Ted and Andy's wedding, Siri. She's as young as I was" I sobbed.

" You were his first choice" Sirius reminded me, " What happened to you was sick, and nobody should have to deal with that, but it did happen. We've got to accept the consequences of it and face them. You can't spend an eternity regretting what you didn't get, you have to spend it enjoying what you got"

I looked up at him. It was so profound and honest. Sirius was never a philosophical person, but he was right this time. I was dead. We all were. I just happened to die younger.

For the next few months, I spent all my time with Sirius. I tried to stay away from Remus and Tonks. It was better for all of us, If I did.

Sirius and I were both outcasts. The only ones who weren't coupled.

We were happiest when we spent our time together.

We were sitting down in one day, laughing about something when a touch lingered for a little too long.

" Doe" Sirius said. He was looking at me in a way I had never seen him do it before.

" I love you" he said firmly.

I stopped moving and stared at him.

Sirius was my best friend, and had been since we were six. He hadn't ever loved a girl before, he loved to be with girls, lots of them.

" What?" I asked him in disbelief.

" I love you" he repeated, " I have since I was sixteen"

I stared at him, finding difficulty believing his words. This was Sirius we were talking about.

" You can't love me" I told him, " You're Sirius Black, the ultimate playboy"

Sirius shook his head, " I do love you, Doe. I was only with those girls because I couldn't be with you"

I stared at him, " Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Sirius looked down, " You were always with Moony, and I couldn't do that to either of you guys"

Sirius loved me. So many of our memories were flooding back to me, as I tried to decipher them.

" This whole time?" I asked him,

Sirius nodded, " I've always loved you"

Sirius face was inches from mine now. I felt a strange feeling in my chest. It was completely unfamiliar to me.

Sirius pulled me towards him and kissed me.

It felt right.

Sirius and I broke apart. He was searching my face, desperate looking for a reaction.

The person in front of me was someone I had loved for the past thirty two years, I just hadn't known how.

I did love him. I think I always had.I looked at his face and told him, " I love you too"

Sirius smiled widely and kissed me again.

" Really?" he asked.

I nodded, "Siriusly"

Sirius grinned and we filled the room with laughter again.

It was strange how things turned out, how choices and decisions and thoughts could alter the course of people's lives. This was how my life was supposed to turn out.

This was it.

The End.


End file.
